Abstract:
It seems that Mother Bear’s long winter hibernation has ended with the birth of twin cubs, dubbed Hughie and Honey. This is somewhat more than a charming tale of life in the woods, however. The author draws upon his own considerable knowledge of the black bear in its natural environment to write from the bear’s perspective. Though Hughie and Honey are delightful company for the reader (or the “read to”), the adventures of these two are told in such a way that children must not forget that bears are not like their own family’s pet. Indeed, he makes it clear that they can be quite dangerous. Indeed his cautions are seamlessly woven into the narrative such that children can also understand that wild bears do not mean to harm anyone – they just see our human world in a different way than we do.