Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats - Hardcover

Na, Il Sung

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385753756 ISBN 13: 9780385753753

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2015

Synopsis

Follow Bear as he visits animal habitats around the world—and comes to appreciate his own home—in this new offering from the creator of A Book of Sleep and A Book of Babies.
 
Bear is tired of waking up every morning in the same green forest, so he decides to search for a new place to live. He visits the birds in the trees, a mole underground, a camel in the hot desert sand, puffins in the cold arctic snow . . . only to realize his own home is the perfect place for him after all. Welcome Home, Bear offers rich illustrations, bright colors, and a simple, spare text—all wrapped up in a beautiful, kid-friendly package. Readers meet animals in their habitats around the world—and return with Bear to the one place he is truly happy.

About this title

About the Author

Originally from South Korea, IL SUNG NA studied illustration at Kingston University in London. A Book of Sleep was his first picture book, followed by The Thingamabob; Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit; Hide & Seek; and A Book of Babies. To learn more about Il Sung Na and his work, please visit IlSungNa.com.

Reviews

PreS-Gr 1—Na's books cover topics of great interest to young children: babies, bedtime, seasons. Here, he explores the conundrum surrounding home—whether to select the stimulation of the new or the comfort of familiarity. As the story opens, Bear is bored with "the same green forest under the same blue sky." His subsequent globetrotting provides viewers with glimpses at the variety of animal habitats. But Bird's nest is too high, and Mole's tunnels are too stuffy. While this plot is familiar to adults, even they will want to revisit these pages. Na combines handmade and digital processes to create exciting layers of color, texture, and pattern. His polar bear is not white but a subtle building of unexpected hues and designs. Contrast adds interest, as when the blistering yellow of the desert sands (under the pink camel!) yields to the refreshing blue-greens of the rainforest. The artist plays with perspective—showing the dizzying vertical drop from Goat's cliffside home—and effect, as the ink from the surprised octopus spreads through the underwater world to cover Bear's face. Even the text is in motion, following the curve of the tree or descent of the raindrops. The discomfort on Bear's face is comical as he experiences each new indignity, but as the shadows lengthen, he "[knows] just where he [wants]to be." Respecting his audience, Na allows readers to name that place and draw their own conclusions. VERDICT While successfully capturing the comforts of home, this story's pleasing visuals feed the wanderlust impulse as well.—Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

Edition details

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0385753756
• ISBN 13: 9780385753753
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32