Bear-ly There

by Rebekah Raye

What do you do when there's a bear in your backyard? A big black bear shows up one moonlight night and creates a real ruckus, first breaking into the shed where the grain is kept for the geese (who aren't too happy about it), then raiding the bird feeders. The bear is also causing problems at other homes in the neighborhood, getting into the trash and compost and eating dog food that was left out overnight. One neighbor offers to shoot it. Another one suggests calling the game warden to have the bear tranquilized and relocated. But the child among them knows what is best. A bear belongs in the woods, he says, and together with the adults clears the yards in the neighborhood of any food that would tempt the bear. His dad comes up with a good idea for warning the bear away--and it works! Bear-ly There shows that it's always best for the bear if it stays in the woods, away from humans. An occasional glimpse of a bear through the trees or at the far side of a meadow is much, much better than having one in the backyard--for us and for the bear.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2009

About the author

Rebekah Raye is an artist beloved for her bird and animal paintings and sculpture, derived from her affinity with the natural world around her. She is the author/illustrator of The Very Best Bed and Bear-ly There and the illustrator of Thanks to the Animals by Allen Sockabasin. "

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie always took good care of his two pet geese, providing them with a safe, enclosed area to graze, and their own pool. Every evening, he made sure they were bedded down in their shed, protected from the wild animals that lived in the nearby forest. But when a hungry black bear breaks into the storage shed late one spring night, gorging himself on birdseed, Charlie wonders how he can protect his birds, especially when he learns that the bear has also been into one neighbor's compost pile, and another's bird-feeder. Should the game warden be called, and the bear relocated? Or, as one neighbor suggests, should it be shot...?

As Charlie (and through him, Rekekah Raye) notes in the poster he hangs up, if there's a bear in your backyard, "The bear isn't the problem - you are!" Bear-ly There is an engaging story of how one boy and his family resolve their community's bear problem, and also offers concrete suggestions for others facing a similar situation. Cleaning off grills, as soon as they have been used, taking down bird-feeders in the summer, and a number of other effective precautions are suggested, through Charlie's proactive poster. Entertaining and educational, with beautiful pictures, this is a winner! I intend to look for more by this author/illustrator!

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and I’m so grateful it’s out there, and hope all humans read it. I’m so disheartened when a wild animal makes its way to human occupied land and ends up getting shot. I hear stories all the time about deer, cougars, and black bears such as the one featured in this story having that happen to them. It’s humans encroaching on animals’ territory, of course, that’s most of the cause of this, but the solution(s) require a bit of finesse.

This book does a fabulous job of addressing this issue, with a story that is as entertaining as educational. A black bear, coming out of hibernation and looking for needed nourishment, comes way too close to Charlie’s house and pet chickens, and other neighbors’ items such as bird feeders. Charlie and his family figure out a solution to get the bear back in the woods where it belongs, a solution that requires some thoughtful actions on the humans’ parts.

I was touched by the story, by the bear and by Charlie and his parents too. It’s a wonderful, full circle kind of tale.

And, the illustrations are fabulous. Lush, showing nature in all its glory. Beautifully colored and in a style I found aesthetically pleasing. The bear and dogs and geese are particularly great, and the blueberries looked delicious; I recommend having blueberries for eating during or immediately after the reading of this book. Sadly, I have none available, but I might get some next week if I want them as much as I do now. Both humans and the bear in this story find blueberries very appealing.

I am a fan of Tilbury House Publishers, and this book is yet another winner from them.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Displaced suburban wildlife need as many friends as they can get, and this book is an encouraging step in the right direction.

Told from the point of view of both a hungry bear and his human neighbors, Bear-ly There shows what can happen when neighborhoods abut wildlife habitat. A black bear wakes up hungry from his winter hibernation and wanders down the hill into a neighborhood, where he proceeds to raid bird feeders and compost piles. Understandably, the human residents are not pleased and must figure out how to get the bear back to the woods where he belongs.

The neighbors learn quickly that this is not a BEAR problem but a PEOPLE problem. They modify their behavior to stop unwittingly attracting bears, and bang pots and pans and create a ruckus whenever they see the bear wander out from the woods. the plan works, and the bear goes back to his natural habitat and his natural sources of food.

In recent years, we have seen the expansion of hunting seasons on black bears and other wildlife under the pretense that they are becoming nuisances in residential areas. Many people reluctantly accept the killing under the assumption that "nothing else can be done." If we wish to see a change in the future, less violent options should be presented to the upcoming generation.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that addresses the often unsafe connection between the animal world and the human world. A very curious bear makes his way into a neighborhood and begins to terrify the people living there. The people come together to figure out a way to remove the bear from the neighborhood. Great for use when talking about nature and what to do when you have an encounter with wildlife.

[Kay Farmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book that honorestly deals with issues of neighborhood bear encounters. Charlie did his research and handled the situation through educating his neighbors, so all might live in harmony. The Illustrations are wonderful.

[Esodhiambo · Rating 3 out of 5]

good information
but wordy
bears in summer
informative