"With huge, richly detailed pictures (who knew watercolors could make so many different kinds of brown?) and a lucid and near-poetic text, Morris describes the lives and habitats of eight kinds of bear. . . . She packs an amazing amount of information about bears into the text, and that is supplemented by notes on each animal and a handful of websites listed in the backmatter. . . . It is lovely to see natural history and a sense of eco-awareness combined with many children's most beloved plaything." –Kirkus Reviews
"Children who love bears should relish the
realistic, lush watercolors in this close-up glimpse of eight different ursines–the moon bear, sun bear, sloth bear, brown bear, spectacled bear, American black bear, giant panda, and polar bear–featured on full spreads accompanied by brief narratives that provide facts about hunting range, habitats, coloration, foods, even predators. The
informational passages are clear, straightforward, and easy for children to understand." –
School Library Journal "Supple paintings depict the bears in their natural environments, and the accompanying descriptions are equally lush: "Through the forest, hunting termites and the honey hives of bees, where the mangoes and the fruit trees grow in plenty, walks the shaggy-coated Sloth Bear." Morris's watercolors beautifully render the subtleties of color and light in the bears' fur. A cozy conclusion and a glossary round out this
educational and handsome offering." –
Publishers Weekly