Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 1993)

In the intriguing sequel to 'Bearstone' (Atheneum), Cloyd Atcitty searches with a wildlife biologist--a Tlingit woman--for a mother grizzly and three cubs--reported to be the last grizzlies in Colorado. The story offers plenty of action and memorable characters, and the descriptions of Ute rituals and legends, the setting, and Cloyd's first experiences with spirit dreams are particularly well done.

Kirkus Reviews

Ute teenager Cloyd Atcitty undertakes a spirit journey while caring for the last two grizzly cubs in the Colorado wilderness. Still smarting from his part in the death of the great bear in Bearstone (1989), Cloyd heads for the hills with old prospector Walter Landis, searching for a fabled gold mine. Hearing a rumor of another grizzly sighting, Cloyd excitedly goes off on his own; with the help of a naturalist who calls herself ``Ursa'' and fills him with bear lore, he finds a female and three cubs. Tragedy strikes when the mother and one cub die in an avalanche; to keep game wardens from removing the survivors to captivity, Cloyd dons the mother's pelt and lures the cubs deeper into the wild. Teaching them to survive and prepare for hibernation becomes a grueling rite of passage, but Cloyd gets through, finding food, shelter, and even the gold mine thanks to helpers both human and visionary. With a sturdy conservation message, a survival story that will find a ready audience in Gary Paulsen and Jean Craighead George fans. (Fiction. 12-14)"

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-In the sequel to Hobbs's Bearstone (Atheneum, 1989), Cloyd Atcitty returns to the high country with his rancher friend Walter. But whereas the elderly man is searching for a lost cache of Spanish gold, Cloyd is hoping to find a family of grizzly bears that has been sighted. The previous novel ended with Cloyd believing that he had failed to save what could have been the last of the Colorado grizzlies, and he clings to the belief that its mate and cubs may be alive. Eventually, his search for the bears and his commitment to their survival becomes a journey of self-discovery. This novel works as an effective adventure story, an exploration of the Ute Indian culture, and a natural-history lesson rolled into one, all set in the rarefied atmosphere of the Continental Divide. As compelling as the first book, Beardance should prove to be equally popular.-Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL

ALA Booklist (Mon Nov 01 00:00:00 CST 1993)

While prospecting for gold, Cloyd Atcity meets the woman Ursa, who is searching for the last grizzlies in Colorado. With Cloyd's help, she finds them--a mother bear and three cubs. When the mother and one cub are killed in an accident, Cloyd remains behind to ensure the survival of the remaining two cubs through the winter. A member of the Ute Indian nation, he has always felt an affinity to the bear, especially since experiencing the traditional bear dance the year before. Cloyd's decision to stay in the isolated mountain area is a dangerous one, and he and the cubs face natural disasters as well as those engineered by humans. This combination of spiritual quest and adventure story has a likable main character and, after the discovery of the cubs, an escalating plot that should make it an easy booktalk. It is also a book that will appeal across gender lines. (Reviewed Nov. 15, 1993)