CUB’S JOURNEY HOME

Follow a mother black bear and her newborn cub into the wild.

During hibernation, a young cub is born. When the time is right, Mother Bear takes him out of the cave to teach him how to climb trees, swipe mouthfuls of insects, and lap up sweet honey. But there are also dangers lurking close by. A raging forest fire separates the two, forcing Little Cub to fend for himself. He can’t find food amid the charred, smoky ruins. Then he runs into other bears that fiercely protect their territory. Afterward, he narrowly misses an encounter with a wolverine. All of these adventures happen in a scant few pages, and then suddenly, in the final few sentences, Mother Bear and Little Cub are reunited. A happy ending to be sure, but after such expository, languid detail when the cub was first born, the ending is slapdash. Luckily Graham’s detailed paintings, with heavy strokes and highlighted tints, carrY readers through most misgivings. Wide landscape shots and close-ups of the bears impress alike.

An informative book for young nature enthusiasts.