The Bear and the Piano

We love this genuine tale about a bear who develops a talent and is able to go to the city and live out his dream. However, he misses home, he returns afraid his friends have forgotten him - only to learn that they were cheering him on, from a far. The illustration are absolutely beautiful. After reading this book, our son requested that we start piano lessons for him.

Summary: When a young bear cub stumbles across an old piano in the middle of the woods, he is intrigued. He plays around with it and slowly (after months and then years) discovers the beautiful sounds he is able to coax from it. The other bears in the woods soon start to notice and gather around to listen to the bear play the piano. One night, a girl and her father convince him to journey to the city where he will be met with fame and fortune. Sure enough, fame and fortune come quickly- but something is missing. He misses his home and his friends and the satisfaction he felt after playing for them. It suddenly hits him that he knows exactly what he must do.

This is a story about home and a sweet reminder to us all of what is truly important. Fame and fortune and praise from strangers can all be measures of success, yes, but it is important to never forget your roots and where you came from- for that is where you will be loved unconditionally and welcomed no matter what. The story of this talented bear will be understood by children but can also be appreciated on a deeper level by adults.

The illustrations are soft and dreamy and are full of light. The words flow so nicely and is a perfect example of how beautiful children's picture books can be when all the aspects meld together so cohesively. This is such a sweet story for bedtime- or even as a gift to a teenager about to leave home for college. We loved this one!

So, I accidentally-on-purpose-and-without-remorse-but-still-sheepishly took it upon myself to expand my children's home library. Generally, this is not considered abnormal, but the direction I took is less "oh, this is a tried-and-true classic" and instead more "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHICH PICTURE BOOK WILL RESONATE MOST SOUNDLY WITH THEM, BUY ALL THE THINGS!"

The Bear and the Piano served as a warm reward for this endeavor. And although I am basically a glutton for young children's literature at this point, I am not without standards. When deciding whether to purchase a book, since hardcovers get pricey and I'm not exactly on par financially with Scrooge McDuck, I assess the following:

✓ Illustrations. Whether black-and-white or full-color, stylized or realistic, the illustrations in a kids' book must be intriguing. They must spark imaginative thought and, at least in some way, be aesthetically appealing - ideally in a manner that sets it apart from others on the shelf. This Bear and the Piano has richly colored, full-page illustrations rife with tiny details that add dimension to the story.

✓ Whimsy. With very few exceptions, I need my children's books to have some element of eccentricity, oddness, peculiarity, and basically anything that also makes my husband laugh during story time and ask me where I found such a book. The Bear and the Piano prompted the following exchange during its reading:

4-year-old: "Why did the bear row across the lake? Bears are excellent swimmers."
Me: "Hmm, that's true. Maybe he just didn't want to get his tuxedo wet."
4-year-old: "That makes sense."

So, whimsy achieved.

✓ Message. There are few things worse than phenomenally-illustrated, whimsical books that elicit internal groans from parents because they inadvertently send terrible messages - maybe bad behavior is just continuously rewarded, maybe the "moral" is that you should literally hand out your scales (pieces of your body!) to all the fish around you to get friends, maybe emotionally-abusive friendships are painted as normal... whatever the reason, those books can be tedious. I was at first concerned upon reaching the end of The Bear and the Piano (I don't pre-read books before reading them aloud to my kiddos because I am a rebel) that the message was going to be something akin to "don't leave your friends even for a brief time because they will delete you from memory." I was very pleased when, instead, it exposed my child to the sentiment that good friends/family will be supportive and understanding.

Your child may ask for a piano after reading this book. When a woodland bear discovers a piano in the woods - how magical - he teaches himself to play. He plays so well, that when a young girl and her father hears his playing, they ask him to go to New York City with them. The bear plays to sell-out crowds. Who wouldn't love a piano-playing bear?

But, after a time, the bear thinks of his home and wants to return to see his bear friends. Will they remember him? Will they still be there? And what about his piano?

Let's just say this story ends happily. The illustrations charm. This book can be used as an introduction to listening to some good piano playing music. Love books which entice children to enjoy the world of music and art. This one does.

Beautiful, poignant story. The point of the story is not lost on the reader as the reader delves into Bear's world of music and belonging.

Written and illustrated by David Litchfield, published by Clarion Books.

#bear #music #piano #bigcity #fame #fortune

This book was a fascinating read. The bear finds a piano, the bear learns to play the piano and then the bear must find out what he really wants out of life. The illustrations are panoramic views of picturesque landscapes and cityscapes.

Beautifully written and illustrated book. The colors and textures give emotion to each painting. With a sweet message. No matter what we do or where we go, we will always have friends and family back home who will always love us!

Not exactly what I thought. Hoped it would encourage a child to persevere as the road to achieving your goals. While a lovely story, the book goes from practicing to perfection, leaving friends behind, and returning home a 'star', which is also lovely but definitely not the main point.