A brown bear tells her cub about the majesty of a river in this gentle picture book debut. Relayed in a first-person perspective, the narrative follows a diminutive russet-colored cub who believes it is already big and strong-and that it will one day be the biggest and the strongest. According to the young ursine, -there-s nothing bigger or stronger than bears.- Mama disagrees with this assessment, underlining the river-s dominance as she leads the cub through the day: instructing it in how to pick berries, crossing the river with the cub on her back, conveying the importance of patience over strength when fishing, and helping the cub -find our special backscratching tree.- Layered art in rich tones highlights natural landscapes, while fine etched lines add engrossing detail. A nature-respecting read with an emphasis on an edifying parent-child relationship. Ages 3-7. (Mar.)