Bear make den by Jane Godwin and Michael Wagner
Ill. by Andrew Joyner. Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760110017
(Ages: 3-6) Recommended. Andrew Joyner's superb illustrations make
this immediately appealing and the story does not disappoint. The
bear on the cover immediately comes across as loveable and
hardworking, depicted working away in his blue overalls with a
satisfied grin. He sure is a competent DIY bear - painting, sewing,
building, baking, he can do it all. The country feel of the book,
owing to the red and white check cloth of the spine, the forest
setting and the simplistic 'caveman' language used throughout the
book ('Bear make den, den good, den done') works perfectly with this
gentle, simple story. It all starts with bear reading a book called
'How Make Den'. He finds a cave, shovels out some dirt and is pretty
satisfied . . . until he realises he is sitting on the ground! 'Den
not done.' So he constructs a table and some chairs out of a log.
Again, he is chuffed until he realises the dining chairs are
uncomfortable for sleeping on. And so it continues . . . .a bed, a
lamp, an oven, a game to play, art, and finally . . . friends! At
its heart, this is a simple and fun story about what truly makes a
house a home. The whole story is leading up to this as bear makes a
bunk bed, a two seater couch with lamps on either side, two dining
chairs, a huge cake too big for one, a chess game for two, etc.
The simplistic language is perfect; it sets the speed of the book as
bear quickly works to build things for his den and is all that is
required to tell the story. In fact, you could just as easily read
the story from the pictures alone, as bear's mannerisms and facial
expressions perfectly portray what he is thinking and feeling. This
is perfect for sharing and independent reading. Children will also
love guessing what bear is going to do next.
Nicole Nelson