Publisher's Hardcover ©2016 | -- |
Bears. Juvenile fiction.
Animals. Juvenile fiction.
Identity (Philosophical concept). Juvenile fiction.
Self-perception. Juvenile fiction.
Bears. Fiction.
Animals. Fiction.
Identity. Fiction.
Self-perception. Fiction.
A bear journeys through the Fabulous Forest "to find out if I am really me"; on the way, he meets eccentric characters with whom he has pretentious exchanges (e.g., "Nothing is part of Everything"). Lavie overreaches for profundity, resulting in a slog. Conversely, Erlbruch's illustrations exhibit complexity--he doesn't seem to stick with one painterly technique--without alienating the reader.
Kirkus ReviewsA text-heavy picture book presents an existential quandaryâ¦â¦but it can't seem to decide whether or not it would really rather be a nonsensical one. As this book was originally published in German, perhaps something was lost in (the uncredited) translation? The titular Bear who wasn't there suddenly is there after an Itch scratches itself on a tree and becomes a bear. The Bear then discovers a pocket in its fur and a list of clues below the question "ARE YOU ME?" and ventures off to see if it is indeed "A VERY NICE BEARâ¦A HAPPY BEARâ¦VERY HANDSOME TOO." Encounters with various animals in the Fabulous Forest eventually lead the Bear to conclude that he is both very nice and happy, but he's still not sure about the handsome part. Eventually he ends up at a house with a sign on the door reading "HOME OF THE BEAR WHO WASN'T THERE (please enter quietly, he may be asleep)." Once inside, the Bear sees his reflection in the mirror and decides that, yes, he is handsome too. Throughout, Erlbruch's playful, distinctive illustrations outshine the text and offer ample visual interest, which may help readers sustain interest despite the rambling and often confusing text. The picture book as a whole isn't quite all there, but the pictures are sublime. (Picture book. 4-8)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)In songwriter Lavie-s debut, originally published in Germany, Bear-s search for himself doesn-t matter so much as the charm of Lavie-s storytelling voice as he narrates it. Bear materializes, improbably, from an itch that grows as it scratches itself. In his fur he discovers a pocket with a note inside. -Are you me?- it reads. -Helpful clues to look for: 1. I am a very nice bear. 2. I am a happy bear. 3. Very handsome too.- Erlbruch (
Gr 1-3 In this large-format existentialist meander by Israeli author and musician Lavie, a bear starts off as an itch that is scratched against a tree until it grows to its full size and is covered in fur. The bear then journeys through a forest, meeting improbable characters as he seeks an answer to the question, "Are you me?" Three clues he finds in his pocket drive him to interact with the Penultimate Penguin, Convenience Cow, Lazy Lizard, and Turtle Taxi. The volume is filled with surreal gags about prepositions and adverbs, cheerful absurdity, and down the rabbit hole-style musings. Its length makes it unlikely to hold the attention of younger children. The illustrations, by renowned German artist Erlbruch, are a combination of digitally pixelated backgrounds, rubber stamps of flora, and heavily textured animals. VERDICT An artsy and unusual picture book for a very select crew of older readers. An additional purchase. Lisa Nowlain, Darien Library, CT
Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
School Library Journal (Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)
"Irresistible . . . playfully existential." -- O, The Oprah Magazine "Erlbruch's playful, distinctive illustrations . . . are sublime." -- Kirkus Reviews One day, a few minutes after Once Upon a Time, a bear awakes to find he has lost something very important: himself! He sets out into the Fabulous Forest to find himself, using only a few clues scrawled on a piece of paper: the bear he's looking for is a nice bear; he is a happy bear; and he's very handsome too! These sound like pretty good qualities to Bear, and so begins his memorable journey. With the help of Fabulous Forest critters like the Convenience Cow, the Lazy Lizard, and the Penultimate Penguin, Bear finds that he himself is just what he's been looking for all along: a nice, happy bear--and handsome too! As whimsical as Winnie-the-Pooh and as wryly comic as Klassen's bear who wants his hat back, The Bear Who Wasn't There joins a select crew of unusual bears who have captured the imagination of children for generations.