Hm, well, Bear is blissfully enjoying a nap with his beloved teddy bear when Wolf steals it. In his despair and upset, Bear chases after Wolf, devouring him when he catches him. But Wolf threw the teddy bear away and now it's in Lion's hands. All bear wants is his dear, sweet teddy bear, but how long (and how much stomach room) will it take for him to get it?
When I heard the title of this unusual picture book (named one of the NYTimes Best Illustrated books of 2012), I had to read it (btw, the title is so much better in English than the original French Chagrin d'ours). This wordless book is quite funny. Just look at the panel below: Bear's single-minded charging after the wolf, his anguish visible in the tears humorously spraying out of his eyes. With each animal Bear encounters, his stomach grows and we can watch the animals in his stomach (make sure to notice them, because there's a bit of a story going on in there). The illustrations are paced and placed well to create a fast moving tale, and the colorful line drawings seem to reflect the slight emotional instability of Bear. Though fantastical, the emotions are all too real. Have you ever seen the total despair and rage that can burst from a little one whose favorite toy is taken away? Really, you have to see this book; it's great.
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