â??Irresistible . . . playfully existential." â?? O, The Oprah Magazine "Bear's search for himself doesn't matter so much as the charm of Lavie's storytelling voice as he narrates it . . . Erlbruch gives the bear big, puzzled-looking eyes and a lovable grin. He lives in a forest made of ornate trees seemingly lifted from vintage engravings, whose delicate lines play off Bear's dumpy figure. Bear's encounters with various charactersâ??the Turtle Taxi, the Penultimate Penguinâ??feature gentle wordplay and Lewis Carrollâ??like paradoxes . . . Everything is new to Bear, and his discoveries will delight readers." â??Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Erlbruch's playful, distinctive illustrations . . . are sublime." â??Kirkus Reviews "The volume is filled with surreal gags about prepositions and adverbs, cheerful absurdity, and down the rabbit holeâ??style musings." â??School Library Journal "The book is filled with the bear's paradoxical, enigmatic, and sometimes Zen-like musings as he meets various creatures in the forest who assist him . . . This one would make for a thought-provoking read-aloud at story time. Get those children settledâ??it's a lengthy textâ??and present to them this gloriously left-of-center tale. Watch their heads spin. It'll be memorable." â??Kirkus Reviews, new children's books feature "A lovable entertainment and quest venture that veers back and forth into existential territory without missing a beat of its adorable nature." â??Center for Fiction "Young readers with a philosophical nature and an appreciation for provocative silliness will be especially gratified by Bear's self-discovery . . . Erlbruch's illustrations, which look like etchings, fit the story well. The Fabulous Forest effectively evokes a fairy tale feel, and Bear, a portly fellow with huge eyes, a bright red mouth, and colorful flecks in his black fur, is loveable at first sight." â??New York Journal of Books "Imaginatively written by Oren Lavie and beautifully illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch, The Bear Who Wasn't There: And the Fabulous Forest is classic fable in the making and will prove to be an original and enduringly popular addition." â?? Midwest Book Review "This cheeky book . . . is a melding of Phantom Tollbooth logic, Alice in Wonderland whimsy, and peppered with a cast of unforgettable Little Prince like characters . . . You can't help fall into the imaginative world of this delightfully clever picture book." â??BookBloom "It is mix between Alice in Wonderland's absurd characters and Shel Silverstein's poetic prose with a mix of the wonders of The Wizard of Oz . . . blended into a story that captures the idea of identity and so much more." â??Mrs. Mommy Booknerd "What a fantastic read!" â??Reviews in Chalk "Here's something for those of you who are tired of all the little bunnies and chicks found in picture books. He's big, lost and finding his way. You can help him find home." â??Journey of a Bookseller One day, a few minutes after Once Upon a Time, a bear awakes to find he has lost something very important: himself! He sets out into the Fabulous Forest to find himself, using only a few clues scrawled on a piece of paper: the bear he's looking for is a nice bear; he is a happy bear; and he's very handsome too! These sound like pretty good qualities to Bear, and so begins his me… (más)
While this is a picture book, the plot is too sophisticated for many children and adults. The illustrations are delightful, and, as other reviewers have noted, quirky. The plot, however, is highly philosophical and imaginative, which may trip up some readers. While I was disappointed that it was too deep for my small child, I recognize the depth of thought in the plot and would encourage older children and adults to give it a try. ( )
Slightly taller than the average picture book, with text slightly larger as well, perhaps it's the international nature of this book (with an author from Israel and an illustrator from Germany, translated into English) that accounts for these small differences that draw me from my expectations. We begin with a bear sho seems to imagine himself into existence. He learns, from a piece of paper he finds in his pocket, clues to his identity. As he goes off to discover if he is indeed himself, he wanders through the forest and encounters a handful of odd creatures along the way. The story is fun and sweet, if quirky. Many images (of trees and flowers and other plants) repeat throughout as if digitally rubber stamped with different ink colors and in different sizes. Some pages would seem to have many layers stamped one upon the next which add to the feeling of the denseness of the forest. Interesting details like these and the sideways spread of the Compass Tree make this an unusual picture book that will confuse some and delight many.
*Many thanks to Akashic Books and LibraryThing for an advance reading copy.* ( )
My 16 year old son loved this book but I didn't really care for it. It's unusual for a picture book. The illustrations are very interesting and unique and quirky. The story is either very deep (too deep for me!) or nonsensical (or maybe both?). I didn't get the point. My son really didn't get the point either, but he thoroughly enjoyed the book any way. ( )
â??Irresistible . . . playfully existential." â?? O, The Oprah Magazine "Bear's search for himself doesn't matter so much as the charm of Lavie's storytelling voice as he narrates it . . . Erlbruch gives the bear big, puzzled-looking eyes and a lovable grin. He lives in a forest made of ornate trees seemingly lifted from vintage engravings, whose delicate lines play off Bear's dumpy figure. Bear's encounters with various charactersâ??the Turtle Taxi, the Penultimate Penguinâ??feature gentle wordplay and Lewis Carrollâ??like paradoxes . . . Everything is new to Bear, and his discoveries will delight readers." â??Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Erlbruch's playful, distinctive illustrations . . . are sublime." â??Kirkus Reviews "The volume is filled with surreal gags about prepositions and adverbs, cheerful absurdity, and down the rabbit holeâ??style musings." â??School Library Journal "The book is filled with the bear's paradoxical, enigmatic, and sometimes Zen-like musings as he meets various creatures in the forest who assist him . . . This one would make for a thought-provoking read-aloud at story time. Get those children settledâ??it's a lengthy textâ??and present to them this gloriously left-of-center tale. Watch their heads spin. It'll be memorable." â??Kirkus Reviews, new children's books feature "A lovable entertainment and quest venture that veers back and forth into existential territory without missing a beat of its adorable nature." â??Center for Fiction "Young readers with a philosophical nature and an appreciation for provocative silliness will be especially gratified by Bear's self-discovery . . . Erlbruch's illustrations, which look like etchings, fit the story well. The Fabulous Forest effectively evokes a fairy tale feel, and Bear, a portly fellow with huge eyes, a bright red mouth, and colorful flecks in his black fur, is loveable at first sight." â??New York Journal of Books "Imaginatively written by Oren Lavie and beautifully illustrated by Wolf Erlbruch, The Bear Who Wasn't There: And the Fabulous Forest is classic fable in the making and will prove to be an original and enduringly popular addition." â?? Midwest Book Review "This cheeky book . . . is a melding of Phantom Tollbooth logic, Alice in Wonderland whimsy, and peppered with a cast of unforgettable Little Prince like characters . . . You can't help fall into the imaginative world of this delightfully clever picture book." â??BookBloom "It is mix between Alice in Wonderland's absurd characters and Shel Silverstein's poetic prose with a mix of the wonders of The Wizard of Oz . . . blended into a story that captures the idea of identity and so much more." â??Mrs. Mommy Booknerd "What a fantastic read!" â??Reviews in Chalk "Here's something for those of you who are tired of all the little bunnies and chicks found in picture books. He's big, lost and finding his way. You can help him find home." â??Journey of a Bookseller One day, a few minutes after Once Upon a Time, a bear awakes to find he has lost something very important: himself! He sets out into the Fabulous Forest to find himself, using only a few clues scrawled on a piece of paper: the bear he's looking for is a nice bear; he is a happy bear; and he's very handsome too! These sound like pretty good qualities to Bear, and so begins his me
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