Sharon Davey, Bears Don’t Wear Shoes, New Frontier Publishing, December 2020, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922326096
Suzy and her family have moved to a new house in a new town in a new country. Everyone is extra busy—firstly packing and then unpacking—and Suzy is feeling a bit left out; she has no-one to talk to. So, she puts a note on the back gate requesting a friend.
The very next morning Suzy sees a Bear at the back gate and immediately brings him inside to be interviewed for the position of ‘friend’. Bear answers Suzy’s questions passing all the criteria that Suzy has set for a suitable friend. That is, until she asks Bear to wear shoes. Bear is not impressed. He roars. He refuses. And Bear won’t be bullied into compliance by Suzy.
At first Suzy feels she must reject Bear as a friend. After all, he doesn’t fit ALL the criteria. But Suzy is wise. She knows how to compromise, and she really does want Bear as a friend.
Bears Don’t Wear Shoes will delight from the very moment it comes into readers’ hands. The vibrant colour and captivating illustrations engaged me immediately and the text romped along from the cover to the very last page.
This is a book for every library and every home where little ones reside or visit. I know our local community preschool will be thrilled to add Bears Don’t Wear Shoes to the shelves of their book corner—that is, if I can part with it.
Reviewed by Jennifer Mors
