#741 of 1001 · August 11, 2022

In honor of the great Raymond Briggs, here’s a little glimpse of his heartwarming tale The Bear. Tilly, a happy and ordinary child, is asleep in her bedroom. Unbeknownst to her, an unlikely visitor is about to arrive and upend her life entirely. In the middle of the night, a polar bear opens the window, crawls inside, and makes itself at home. Once the girl wakes up, the two make fast friends. They pass a dynamic day together, eating, bathing, and playing. The great beast proves an unpredictable companion, causing Tilly a good deal of stress and worry as she cleans up after it and attempts to explain its presence to her parents—who somehow never do manage to catch a glimpse of it despite its considerable bulk. Finally, the bear slips out Tilly’s window in the night and makes for the wild, departing as quietly and inexplicably as it arrived. With sweetly humorous dialogue and soft colored pencil drawings organized in comic strip format, the book mixes slice-of-life and magic realism in a delicate and truly memorable blend. Rest in peace, Mr. Briggs. #bear #polar #polarbear #girl #animal #friend #friends #friendship #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks