We read a lot in this house. It is enjoyable and it is a way to instill a love of learning in my kids. A BIG part of that is reading books that will help them come to know the natural and world around them and want to protect it. But instead of books with a “green” message I usually prefer to go a different route. We like to read books that encourage environmentalism and protection simply by painting a beautiful picture of the world around us so that kids will WANT to preserve it. There is no clear cut directive to protect or preserve because I believe that what they value… they will learn to protect. My job is just to show them how wonderful and amazing this planet and all its animal inhabitants are. I trust in the hearts of my kids to use that foundation to become environmental activists and enthusiasts as they grow up. So a book titled Little Jenny Goes Green is not likely to appeal to me but a book called Little Jenny Loves the Forest… THAT sounds more up my alley.
Little publishers like the Tilbury House turn out books that I like. Their books are about cultural diversity, social justice, nature, and the environment but they do not teach about these themes in preachy ways. I want my kids to value the same things I do but I want them to be critical thinkers to. The last Tilbury book we read was Under the Night Sky, if you recall. It is a very special book.
This week we read Bearly There by Rebekah Raye and it too, is a special book. It follows the story of a black bear who wakes from hibernation. He does all the typical bear things like scratch his back on the bark of a tree, eat some acorns and wiggly bugs and then he catches the scent of something he cannot ignore. We then get transferred into the world of a little boy named Charlie who takes care of geese in his backyard. He raised them since they were hatch-lings and he is very protective of them. When the bear breaks into the shed that sits adjacent to the shed where Charlie’s geese live, he is very concerned. His dad informs him that the bear was more interested in the sunflower seeds that were in the shed and that they should store them where the bear cannot get them.
The bear makes the rounds to other homes in the area, raiding bird feeders and compost piles, and soon neighbors are starting to panic and talk of shooting the bear begins.
In a very lovely twist though, Charlie keeps a cool head and he does his research on black bears. He then draws a large poster with a bear on it and under the bear it reads “What To Do If You Have a Bear In Your Backyard – The bear isn’t the problem – you are!” Following that he highlights six ways to get proactive and deter a bear from coming onto your property. None of those ways involve harming the bear either. Then Charlie and his father use this list to get their own yard in order and create a plan to get the bear back in the woods where it belongs.
The story and the illustrations are fabulous. My kids understood right away what the point of the story was and especially like that it was a child who had acted on behalf of the bear. I loved the fact that research and a calm head were used to solve the problem rather than just “eliminate” it. The parents in the story were good role models as well.
It allowed for some great discussion afterwards… such as when I asked what will happen when we destroy our forests and wooded areas to build homes and shopping malls? Where will the bears go?
In my search for books that tell great stories about nature and animals Bearly There falls into the pretty darn close to perfect category. It has a great story, it highlights creative thinking and cooperation, and it highlights respect for our environment and the animals who live in it. All of this is accomplished just through the weaving of a good story and not by preaching.
Special thanks to Tillsbury Press for sending me a copy, although they sent me a galley copy that fell apart after one reading. I will definitely be buying this book for our family library.
