STORYWRAPS

 

Unwrapping

Bear with Me

Book by David Michael Slater

Illustrations by Davilyn Lynch

Specs

* Reading Age:  4-10

* Grade Level:  1-2

* Hardcover:  32 pages

* Publisher:  Clavis

* Pub. Date:  April 5, 2022

* ISBN-10:  1605376086

* ISBN-13:  978-1605376080

* Language:  English

Unwrapping Some Illustrations 

The Book

It's the first day of school and young Max is terrified to attend.  He brings along his stuffed bear whose name is Mr. Kalamazoo for moral support and protection.  Mr. Kalamazoo is an extension of Max's own feelings and actions in reality.  Max yells at people on his school bus: 

"KEEP AWAY!"

Max warned everyone on the bus

"Wild animal up in here!

He gets nervous around strangers.

And he gets hungry when he's nervous!"

In homeroom Mr. Kalamazoo gets nervous and intimidating so Max cannot introduce himself to his new classmates and at lunchtime his stuffed bear goes BESERK, causing a huge mess and chaos everywhere.  This results in a visit to the principal's office and a call home to his mother to come and pick him up.  Oh my!  Things are not going well for Max his first day. 

While waiting outside on the blue bench for his ride home he encounters  a girl who has the ability to put his jittery nerves at ease.  I wonder what transpired to make that a reality to Max?  

The book has a positive message highlighting being accepted, finding bravery inside of yourself, and the power of friendship to help fight your fears.  The illustrations are perfect and cry out for conversations that explain Max's feelings and how he learns to cope with them.  It's a wonderful book to share with little ones who are starting school for the very first time.  I highly recommend it. 

Storywraps Rating - 5 HUGS! 

🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

Meet the Author

David Michael Slater is an acclaimed author of books for children, teens, and adults. He teaches in Reno, Nevada, where he lives with his wife and son.

About the Illustrator

Davilyn Lynch was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, where she would spend most days drawing, escaping into a world of creativity and wonder. She grew up in an inspiring household surrounded by her father’s abstract canvasses on every wall. After the distractions of life, it wasn’t until her first child came along that she rediscovered her love of drawing and decided to make it a major part of her life. With the help and support of her husband and close friends she was able to make her dream a reality and became a children’s book illustrator. Being born biracial, (Filipino and Caucasian) Davilyn grew up in a community that was predominantly white and suffered discrimination due to others seeing her as ‘different’. Davilyn wants to make sure she sends a positive message to young readers through her character illustrations that diversity among children and families is completely normal. Davilyn is self-taught, letting her passion and creativity be her guide in the picture books she works on.

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