Bear Is Not Sleepy

Jelleke Rijken (1973, Wassenaar, the Netherlands) knew from a young age already she wanted to become a teacher. So she attended a teacher’s training college and has been working at a school since 1996. She also runs a private practice to help children by way of meditation, coaching, and massage. Jelleke has always been fond of books. As a child, she would get lost in a story. She couldn’t stop reading and so she continued even when she should go to sleep, with a flashlight under her blanket. Her son Matthijs cannot read for himself yet, but every night his parents choose a book from the family bookshelves to read aloud for him. The questions the boy asks while listening are invitations for philosophical talks between child and parents. Jelleke is very keen on her book ‘Dag opa’ (‘Goodbye, grandpa’). When she was young, she lost her father. This experience made her write this book, hoping the subject of death can be discussed in an open and honest way by parents and children.Mack (1960, the Netherlands) is a graphic designer and illustrator from The Netherlands. He was educated at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. During his education, he made funny and educational cartoons about, among others, penguins and whales. These cartoons were later bought by the ‘Diergaarde Blijdorp’-zoo in Rotterdam. By now Mack is a regular illustrator at this animal park and he is the author of several children’s books, in which animals often are the lead characters. Mack has a primitive way of drawing. He gets inspired by African art and the paintings of the Australian aboriginals. Both create immense power by simplifying shapes. Mack wants to combine that powerful simplification with a subtle sense of humor. “In my books I try to teach children something in a funny way,” Mack says. “If I draw a penguin, it doesn’t matter to me that much how pretty he is or how good of a swimmer he is. What I want to show the most is how baggy he stands on the ice and how funny his walk is. That funny bagginess is what I try to catch in a couple of lines. Only when children can laugh about it, I think to myself: ‘Yes, I did it’.”

"Bear, Elephant, and Chicken set out to find out where the birds go in winter.Although it is almost time for Bear to go to sleep for the cold season (the word hibernation is not used in this book for very young children), he becomes curious when he sees birds flying in a V. His friend Elephant explains, “They are flying to a warm place for the winter.” Bear gets the notion that he might enjoy such a place and convinces his friends (the trio from Goodbye, Grandpa, 2018) to accompany him. They travel through a variety of disparate landscapes, but Bear doesn’t feel the sleepiness that should be naturally overtaking him. Finally, just when they are nearing the “warm place,” Bear falls asleep. When his friends try to wake him, he starts weeping and explains that he wants to return home: “Bears don’t go to warm places in the winter. Bears sleep in the winter.” Of course, his friends help him immediately thanks to a hot air balloon that magically appears. The cartoon animals and the spare, matte backgrounds with just a hint of detail complement this simple story with its beginning look at scientific concepts, just enough to start young children wondering about bears and birds and their seasonal habits. The animals’ adventures may also jump-start ideas about travel and geography.This simple story opens the door to exploration of sophisticated concepts." - Kirkus Reviews"Young children will love this touching friendship story. Friends enjoy their adventures together. The story beautifully captures how true friends stand by each other." - ITEEA"Bear is preparing to hibernate through the winter while his friends Elephant and Chicken take him on a colorful adventure before he goes to sleep for his long hibernation period. Showing the joy of sharing life and adventure with friends through cute colorful illustrations to accompany the story." - Being Unique Books"I thought this was a really cute book about a bear that wants to follow birds instead of hibernating but quickly realizes this may not be the right choice. I love the illustrations and how sleepy everyone gets, I think this would make a great bedtime story." - Indigo Books and Music"Great book about a bear who is not ready for hibernation." - Fairfield County District Library