Review Detail

BEAR AND THE WHISPER OF THE WIND is a story of searching for home and a restless spirit. Bear has a cozy life with great friends, but he feels that the wind is telling him to leave. He heads out, leaving his house behind to find where he is supposed to go. As he encounters different places, the wind encourages him onwards - until he gets trapped in a rainstorm and is woken by a mouse. Finally, Bear has found his new home.

What I loved: This is a gentle story about finding your place, a restless spirit, and the journey to the place where you can feel settled. While some of the intricacies of the themes require some additional thought and consideration, making this feel like a book that will appeal to both caregivers and young children. Children who have moved will understand the feeling of needing to leave without quite understanding all the whys, and the resolution that comes with a new home to settle.

The soft and whimsical illustrations capture the abstract story well, with the images providing some quiet reflection, as some pages do not contain any text. The emotions of the story are conveyed well by the images, particularly with the harsh colors and evocative simplicity around the fear of the thunderstorm.

Final verdict: An imaginative and evocative story of restlessness and finding something new, BEAR AND THE WHISPER OF THE WIND features lovely illustrations and intriguing story that will leave readers with much to think about.