#625 of 1001 · April 17, 2022

The book of the day is Bearskin, written by Howard Pyle and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. When a cruel king learns that a certain baby is prophesied to marry his daughter, he commands the infant be put to death. Instead, thanks to the compassion of a forester, the child is instead set adrift in a basket on a river and raised by a great she-bear. As an adult, the foundling comes to be known as Bearskin, after the hide he wears wrapped around his shoulders. With the help of his foster mother the bear, he slays a dragon and thwarts the wicked plot of a faithless steward in order to fulfill his destiny. Pyle writes with wit and flair, while Hyman’s ink-and-acrylic art depicts a utopian medieval kingdom shared by citizens of many ethnic backgrounds. A note for folklore enthusiasts: though Pyle’s text is an original composition, devotees of the folktale canon will recognize many familiar motifs, including the foundling rescued from the murderous monarch and the dragon-slayer stymied by the conniving attendant. #bear #skin #forest #woods #dragon #princess #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks