When Bear wakes early from his long winter sleep, he decides to find his friends and surpise them. And surprise them he does – but not in the way he had planned. Not expecting to see their friend, the other animals are frightened by the arrival of a huge scary bear. Chaos ensues as Bear scares each new friend and becomes increasingly confused by their reactions, until at last he realises what is happening.

Scary Bear is a cute new offering from South Australian publisher, Working Title Press. The text by Tania Cox, though a little predictable to adult readers, is gently humorous and as the pattern builds up, children will be able to join in with the story. The illustrations of Danny Snell are divine, with Bear cuddly and endearing and the rich green acrylic landscapes fresh and inviting. The illustrations are not fussy, but there is enough detail to keep young readers absorbed.

Very cute.

Scary Bear, by Tania Cox, illustrated by Danny Snell
Working Title Press, 2005

Other Animal Picture Books

Tricky Little Hippo, by Jane Bowring
Mutt DOg, by Stephen Michael King
This Dog Bruce, by Frances Watts