EXPLORERS OF THE WILD by Cale Atkinson - A fun adventure story for a child and a bear

One of my favourite themes in picture books and children's novels is adventure, so I was delighted to recently discover this beautifully illustrated picture book by Canadian author-illustrator Cale Atkinson! I read it as an e-book from my local library. (Even though I always prefer to hold and pore over a hard copy, e-books have the advantage of a view of the complete illustration not obscured by the gutter from the binding). 

Summary from the publisher:

Boy and Bear both love to explore the outdoors. There are so many neat things to see, and so many strange things to find. These explorers are prepared for anything . . . except each other!

When Bear and Boy meet in the woods, they're scared at first. Really scared. But soon these kings of the wild realize that no mountain is too big to conquer if you have a friend to climb it by your side.

Explorers of the Wild was written and illustrated by Cale Atkinson, and published by Disney-Hyperion in 2016.

 

Why I liked this book:

The colourful and detail-packed illustrations really went well with the single-day adventure. I think kids will love the friendly-looking characters and the "big surprise" when they meet each other. Such a cute story!

From a writer's perspective...

I'd read this again or use it as a mentor text if I were writing a picture book with two parallel stories. This is a great example of a book with two parallel stories that meet partway through the story and continue on together. The simple text really lets the illustrations shine.

From an educator's perspective:

This is a lovely celebration of a single day's adventure into the woods. It reminded me a little of an old favourite, "Where's My Teddy?" by Jez Alborough. It would be fun to discuss the different perspectives of the characters and what they see or bring on the adventure. This story could also lead to a discussion about how some friendships are based on common interests. As a read aloud, this could inspire some wonderful some student art and writing!

Ages: 4-7

Grades: K – 2

Themes: adventures, nature, friendship

Activities:

Create: Think about what might happen if you planned your own adventure. Draw small pictures of all the things you'd bring along. Or, cut them out of a flyer and glue them in a collage, with a few words of explanation.  

Write: Write a story about your own adventure! You could use the prompt: If I was exploring the wilderness... 

Imagine and draw: What do you think happened when the bear got home? What about the boy? Draw comic to show what happened next. 

BUT THE BEAR CAME BACK by Tammi Sauer & Dan Taylor - A humorous book about friendship

My kindergarten students loved this story! I thought it might be too simple an idea but it generated a surprising amount of discussion. It’s also a great mentor text for picture book writers.

Summary from Amazon:

Knock, knock. Who’s there? A BEAR! A furry, friendly PERSISTENT bear. And no matter how many times a particular little boy tries to tell him that bears don’t belong in houses, he keeps coming back—until, one day, he doesn’t. Only then does the boy realize how much he cares about the bear . . . and misses him. Can he find his friend again? A funny, surprising story about two unexpected pals.

But the Bear Came Back was written by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Dan Taylor and published by Sterling in 2018.

Opening:     

One ordinary day, a bear knocked on my door.

I politely informed him that bears do not belong in houses.

Then I said, “Go home, bear.”

And that was that.

My Thoughts as a Writer:

This story is an excellent mentor text for writers. The structure is clear—the boy has a problem (that keeps coming back). The writing style is modern and spare, but humorous. There’s a warm and satisfying ending, too. It’s a complete story on its own, but so much more when paired with the illustrations. I loved the expressions on the character’s faces and the signs and messages that contributed to creating a fully developed reading experience.

My Thoughts as an Educator:

My students enjoyed predicting what might happen next…would the bear come back again? We discussed what it might be like to have a friend that keeps wanting to play when you’re not feeling up to it. It’s a nice book for introducing discussions about the ups and downs of friendship, and also the idea of being patient sometimes. My students asked me to re-read this book several times, so I’m planning to purchase it for my classroom (the copy I read was from a local library).

Ages: 4 - 7

Grades: K – 2

Themes: bears, problem-solving, friendship

Activities:

Write: What do you the bear’s home is like? Describe what might happen if the boy visited the bear.

Brainstorm: What words could you use to say to a friend that keeps coming back, even when you say no?

Draw: What do you think the boy and the bear will do on their next adventure? Draw a picture to show your idea.

For a behind the scenes look at Dan Taylor's illustrations, courtesy of The Bright Agency go here.

There’s a wonderful book talk on this book by Colby Sharp: