The Bear Out There

by Jess Hannigan

DON’T SCREAM! There’s something scary out in the forest, but you’re in good hands in this story by Jess Hannigan, author of the wryly silly Spider in the Well. Just make sure you keep a cool head, and watch out for any intruders…

The signs are clear—there’s a BEAR OUT THERE!

You’re lucky to be safe in this cabin in the woods, with a host who is levelheaded, trustworthy, and smart about bear safety.

There’s certainly no need to worry about any dark shadows or sneaky schemes in this book…RIGHT?

Jess Hannigan is back with another bold and brazen tale that’s not too silly, not too scary, but just right.

A Scary Picture Book About an Intruder for Kids (Ages 4-8)

Genres: Picture Books, Humor, Childrens, Animals, Storytime, Fiction, Juvenile

48 pages, Hardcover

Published April 29, 2025

About the author

Jess Hannigan is the author and illustrator of picture books, including Spider in the Well and The Bear Out There. She also works in editorial art, amongst other things, and considers herself an all-purpose illustrator. Some say she has the heart of a designer and the sensibility of a professional clown. She lives in Hamilton, Ontario.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous antidote for the age of fearmongering in which we live.

If someone is theatrically telling you a specific person is nasty or a group of people are bad hombres, think about why the speaker may be saying such things. Could they be lying? How might they benefit or profit through such othering? Might they be distracting you from something wrong they themselves have done?

A good early lesson for children.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

a breath of fresh bear!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun and clever story with amazing visuals. It's a fun twist on the classic Goldilocks tale and reminds me of Grover's There's a Monster at the End of this Book! The writing and illustrations are very interactive, keeping the attention of any age!

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the cut-paper illustrations but the story was a swing-and-a-miss for me.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little red haired girl is nervously looking out the window and is convinced that "there is a BEAR out there." There is a good reason for the girl's suspicion, but it isn't clear exactly what is going on until we see a wall with a picture of a bear family of three, a sign that reads "TWO OLD BEARS LIVE HERE," and a coffee table book titled GOLDILOCKS: FRIEND OR FIEND! Readers who enjoy fractured fairy tales will enjoy this followup to the Goldilocks and The Three Bears story.

[Casseroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is highly recommended. It’s hilarious and entertaining. There are a couple of twists too. Hahahaha

[lanna :3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

exquisite.

[Emily Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received access to an ARC from the publisher through work.

I really love the folktale vibes. We're introduced to a kid speaking directly to the reader as if we are guest in their cottage in the woods. They warn us about bears. And then a bear appears and PLOT TWIST! the kid actually broke into the bear's house. Then the bear takes over performing hospitality like offering us tea and explaining that their house gets broken into often. If you know the story of Goldilocks, this is a fun little twist.

I LOVE Jess's bold and colourful illustrations! They make this story so fun to read. And the dead-eyed expression of the bear when they appear kills me! So funny!

[Guilherme Semionato · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOiOl...

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another quirky and comical storybook from Jess Hannigan. The main character, a frightened little girl, breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the reader - but she projects her own fear on to the reader in a funny and endearing way. The illustrations are similar to the spider in the well - very simple but comical and they go with the story quite well. I loved the twist at the end.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This “silly, pointless nonsense,” as the author describes her work, is a lot of fun to read aloud, especially with all the reader engagement. The clever nod to “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” might be appealing to readers who are familiar with that old fairytale. Bold illustrations with bright colors and simple shapes are full of action.

[Anitra Rowe Schulte · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Bear Out There" is an exciting, adorable picture book about a child, who is afraid of whatever creature has chosen to knock on the cabin door. The main character talks directly to the reader, in a very silly and direct voice, oscillating between super freaked out and cool as a cucumber. Visual delights and surprises are found on every page of this book, written and illustrated to perfection in moments that are at times intimate, vulnerable and quiet, then spontaneously loud and alarmed. The page-turner is cast in a most-charming palette of pink, purple and jade, meets red and gold, making it even more delicious to read. "The Bear Out There" delivers tons of fun and points back to a classic that readers will recognize.

[Mattie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent turn from Hannigan! Her first two picture books have been delightful, and I am looking forward to more. I absolutely cannot get enough of her art style. Once again an excellent story time pick, especially for pre-school to elementary audiences. The story is a sort-of retelling of Goldilocks, which makes it an excellent pick for a "fairy tales with a twist" story time theme- children can delight in the story they already know and the manners in which this version deviates (a la Mo Willems' Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs)

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

High humor and drama abound in this fantastic Goldilocks retelling. Interactive and suspenseful, this worked great for a small group storytime.

Goldilocks (who is not immediately identified as such), starts off with intense concern about the fact that there are scary bears in the woods. She describes the 3 signs of nearby bears and together with the reader keeps an eye out for these scary forest denizens. But when the bear comes back, she hightails it out of there, leaving the bear to play host to her guests.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why this appeals to grown-ups. It is silly and snarky with a creepy premise and a big twist. I can see why it is popular with kids because the main character talks to the reader and there are multiple opportunities for shouting and reacting. It also includes humor and onomatopoeia, perennial story time favorites. The illustration does a lot of the heavy lifting making it a good balance between the text and art to carry the story forward. It's not my style, but a perfect example of a modern blockbuster.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, this picture book has all the feels: humor, quirky delightful colorful illustrations, and silliness about a girl who's frightened of bears. Would work beautifully in a storytime or lapsit with littles. I love the twist on Goldlilocks, and was so immersed in the story, I was surprised when the twist came and it was the little girl who'd broken into the bear's home.

Themes: animals, humor
Ages: toddler-2nd grade+
Pub year: 2025

[Clarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic hilarious story with terrific art! A girl is hiding in a house afraid that a bear will come. Then the bear comes, and it turns out that the house belongs to the bear. There is a page with a picture of a Book called Goldilocks Friend or Fiend? And the bear says: "Believe it or not, break-ins happen all the time." Super cute, and fun, with a text that makes the reader feel like they are part of the action of the story.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there or is there not a bear? Talking to the reader directly, the girl is convinced there is a bear outside her door. Trying to prepare her readers, she is excited about what is happening outside her door. Yet, when someone comes rattling her doorknob, guess who wants to answer the door? Yes, the girl! Did she forget about the bear? The ending was cute and I loved the tie-in with the story we all know. 4 stars

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and clever twist on a classic fairy tale. That narrator may not look like someone named Goldilocks but she is definitely convinced there is a BEAR outside right now. But how would she know that? And what do YOU think?

Kids will have fun trying to figure out what will happen next in this mysterious tale. Peek under the dust jacket and you might get a hint.
Betsy Bird included this book in her 31 Days 31 Lists Best Picture Books list for 2025 and wrote a wonderful review.

[Maddie Edgington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This adorably witty book follows a young girl convinced there is a bear living in the woods outside. The girl’s tone is adamantly convincing as the readers are presented with her evidence, making this a very fun read. The ending is very funny and the unexpected nature is sure to be a hit with kids. The art style is simple but full, with little detail, although it is engaging. The use of color and varying font styles make it visually pleasing and spitefully cohesive.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author. Her last book was super fun to read as well. A girl in a house is scared of the bear out there..she interacts with the reader by asking them to see if they can see the bear out the window, and giving the reader advice on how to tell if the bear is there. I love the interaction and humor in this book. So fun to read and the bold, print like illustrations are great.

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love that cover art black door outline like a bear sneaking a look inside and around the door, love the wide eyes on the case cover art
Skunk lol looks like a fat worm
Fun twist, reminds me a little of Jan Thomas Let’s sing a lullaby with a brave cowboy (very favorite storytime book)
Like this better than first book

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers encounter a young girl who warns them about bears out in the forest. Eventually readers learn that she is actually in a bear's home without permission. We learn this when the bear in question returns home from grocery shopping.

Quite hilarious. Might be best read one-on-one as there's much back and forth.

[Emma Brackett]

Prime silly content. I love the art, it looks like the whole book was crafted with cut out pieces of construction paper. I can just imagine reading the punchline to a kid and them cracking up. I also enjoy picture books that speak directly to the kid. Apparently its good for their mental development and also fun.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Innovative story that makes the reader part of the story. Great book to use for discussion with young ones about rumors and instilling fear. Readers will also learn what “tomfoolery” means ! The digital collage illustrations fit perfectly with the story. This is the same author illustrator who created “Spider in the well” which I enjoyed also.

[Isaac Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are lessons to be learned in this book about fear, suspicion, and assumption, but I love how it writes and portrays emotion and humor. This book gives room to put emotion and emphasis in your own words as you read it to children! It provides a real opportunity for the listener to connect to not only the book, but the reader as well!

[Tiffany Palomo]

This author's style of writing is a bit different than what I am used to reading. This book is not one of my favorites though it does have a great flow. It feels a little familiar to Goldilocks and the 3 Bears where there is an uninvited guest in the house. I like how there is a lot of suspense and imaginative words for the readers to visual.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is like a plot twist to the goldilocks and the three bears story, and gives folktale vibes. The story starts as a kid talking to the reader about warning us about bears and the kid is the one that broke in the bear’s house. Then the bear offers us hospitality like breaking in happens all time. The illustrations are very colorful making this a good read.

[Shelby Hensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a humorous and clever picture book about a nervous narrator warning us about a bear outside. This is a funny story because the illustrations show us things the narrator doesn’t tell us, creating plenty of laughs and surprises. With bright art and a twist from the imagination, this is a perfect book for classroom read alouds.

[LaVonne Hanlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super funny! Kids are sure to enjoy this twist on the traditional Goldilocks and the Three Bears story. Love how the shadow of the bear looms up in the beginning of the book, belied by his hospitality at the end. Provides a good chance to talk with children about characters' perspective and differing points of view