In this touching, hopeful story that reads like a modern classic, a young girl befriends a bear in the zoo. He comes from far, far away, a place he calls the Land of the Bears, where the food is sweet and the land is vast. It is a wondrous home, where the rivers are like bathtubs and naps last for months and months. But, alas, he cannot return; his new home is the zoo. And so the girl listens carefully as her friend remembers, and she imagines a world of freedom, vast and sweet.
Using a gentle tone, spare language, and gorgeous illustrations, Mariana Ruiz Johnson reminds young readers that being a good listener is what makes for a good friend.
Mariana Ruiz Johnson is the author and illustrator of several books for children in other countries. This is her first picture book published in the United States. She lives and works in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In this touching, hopeful story that reads like a modern classic, a young girl befriends a bear in the zoo. He comes from far, far away, a place he calls the Land of the Bears, where the food is sweet and the land is vast. It is a wondrous home, where the rivers are like bathtubs and naps last for months and months. But, alas, he cannot return; his new home is the zoo. And so the girl listens carefully as her friend remembers, and she imagines a world of freedom, vast and sweet.
Using a gentle tone, spare language, and gorgeous illustrations, Mariana Ruiz Johnson reminds young readers that being a good listener is what makes for a good friend.
Author
Mariana Ruiz Johnson is the author and illustrator of several books for children in other countries. This is her first picture book published in the United States. She lives and works in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
