Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Prepare to be charmed by a bear who loves words—or at least loves to eat them. Brother Hugo cannot return his book to the library of the monastery: A bear has consumed it. Enjoined to go to another priory to borrow a volume that he might copy to replace what the bear ate, he finds the bear follows him, snuffling hungrily. All his brother monks help him to prepare the parchment, make the inks, sew the pages and bind it shut. They even supply him with scraps of text to toss to the bear as Brother Hugo attempts to return the book he had copied. This does not work out, exactly. The rhythm of the text is antique but lucid and sweet, and the pictures, festooned with curlicues and decorated in shades of gold, gray and brown, echo the manuscript illuminations that inspired them. Rich backmatter gives all the historical background without detracting from the essential spark of the tale. The author, who holds a Ph.D. in medieval history, was inspired by a line from the 12th-century abbot Peter the Venerable about a precious volume eaten by a bear to make this lively story. This accurate (if abbreviated) delineation of the process of medieval manuscript bookmaking shines thanks to the fey twist of ursine longing for the written word. (glossary, author's note, illustrator's note) (Picture book. 5-9)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Thu May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

K-Gr 3 According to detailed back matter, the author learned of a documented incident involving a book-eating bear and the subsequent letter written by Peter the Venerable to a neighboring French monastery requesting St. Augustine's letters. That research inspired this story that combines suspense, humor, and information in a handsome, entertaining package. As the tale begins, Brother Hugo confesses his unfortunate loss to the abbot, who asks: "Pray tell, &30; how did a bear find our letters of St. Augustine?" Hugo replies ruefully, "They seemed to agree with him." His penance is to journey to Chartreuse to borrow the manuscript and copy it. Beebe's language creates an Old World flavor, as Hugo "sorely sighed and sorrowed in his heart" and "sped full mightily." When he begins to copy the borrowed book, the enormity of the task dawns on him, and the brothers offer assistance. Readers then obtain a clear overview of medieval bookmaking, from the stretching and scraping of sheepskin to the laborious copying and binding. Schindler's elegant compositions make full use of each spread. Text wraps around delicate ink and watercolor brooks and grazing sheep, while illuminated letters decorate and amuse. Arches and columns cleverly frame the monk, creating sequential panels to portray his painstaking progress on what becomes, alas, another "choice morsel" for the insatiable beast. Combine this with C. M. Millen's The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane (Charlesbridge, 2010) and Jan Pancheri's Brother William's Year (Frances Lincoln, 2010) for further insights into how monasteries nourish bodies and souls.— Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

ALA Booklist

Set in a medieval monastery, Beebe's story opens with Brother Hugo explaining that he cannot return his library book, because it was eaten by a bear. The abbot bids him to borrow a copy of the same book from the neighboring Grande Chartreuse monastery, make an illuminated reproduction, and then return the borrowed volume. With help from the other monks, Brother Hugo does as he is told, but on his return trip to Grande Chartreuse, he encounters the same bear, who eats the borrowed book, as well. Loosely based on a note in a twelfth-century manuscript, the story has a few elements, such as the final sentence ("Your library book is due today"), that sound more modern than medieval. Still, the gentle, amusing story offers a bit of adventure, as well as tells how medieval monks went about making their treasured books. Schindler's beautiful ink-and-watercolor illustrations use decorative elements reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts to suggest the period, while portraying the characters as distinct individuals with expressive faces, and landscapes that sometimes resemble those in medieval books of hours. A historical note and glossary conclude this handsome picture book with an unusual setting.

Horn Book (Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

When a bear eats the collection of St. Augustine's letters that Brother Hugo had borrowed from the monastery library, the abbot makes him create a new one. Inspired by a note on a twelfth-century manuscript, this humorous tale is lavishly illustrated with watercolor and ink in the style of medieval illuminated manuscripts. The sophisticated vocabulary and erudite topic necessitate the helpful back matter. Glos.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Prepare to be charmed by a bear who loves words—or at least loves to eat them. Brother Hugo cannot return his book to the library of the monastery: A bear has consumed it. Enjoined to go to another priory to borrow a volume that he might copy to replace what the bear ate, he finds the bear follows him, snuffling hungrily. All his brother monks help him to prepare the parchment, make the inks, sew the pages and bind it shut. They even supply him with scraps of text to toss to the bear as Brother Hugo attempts to return the book he had copied. This does not work out, exactly. The rhythm of the text is antique but lucid and sweet, and the pictures, festooned with curlicues and decorated in shades of gold, gray and brown, echo the manuscript illuminations that inspired them. Rich backmatter gives all the historical background without detracting from the essential spark of the tale. The author, who holds a Ph.D. in medieval history, was inspired by a line from the 12th-century abbot Peter the Venerable about a precious volume eaten by a bear to make this lively story. This accurate (if abbreviated) delineation of the process of medieval manuscript bookmaking shines thanks to the fey twist of ursine longing for the written word. (glossary, author's note, illustrator's note) (Picture book. 5-9)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

-It befell that on the first day of Lent, Brother Hugo could not return his library book.- In a medieval twist on the homework-eating dog, Brother Hugo confesses to his abbot that a bear has eaten his borrowed copy of St. Augustine-s letters. The abbot instructs Brother Hugo to retrieve a copy of the book from a neighboring monastery and create a new version-hand-written, illuminated, and bound. This process forms the heart of debut author Beebe-s how-it-s-done story as Hugo-s fellow monks aid in his efforts. The capital letters of each paragraph are meticulously illuminated in ink and wash by Schindler (Spike and Ike Take a Hike) with small vignettes and ornaments. Beebe-s period prose is believable and at times funny (Brother Hugo -knew that once a bear has a taste of letters, his love of books grows much the more-), and Schindler-s Bruegelesque landscapes deepen the medieval atmosphere. Depending on readers- temperaments, they-ll either laugh or despair at the ending, in which all of Hugo-s hard work comes to naught. Ages 5-9. (Apr.)