La description

Julia has many friends in the forest by her house. She dreams of meeting a bear, a bear she could play with and hug. But no bear has ever shown its snout. Julia tries to attract one with delicious food. To her surprise, it’s not just good smells that attract bears, it’s books too! A quest for friendship that encourages determination, working together and a love of reading.

Reviews

KIRKUS REVIEW

A young girl greatly wants to befriend a bear; she just needs to find one first.

Julia, a tot with a messy brown ponytail and one slouchy sock, loves to play outside. A ruddy (white) complexion and a bandaged knee confirm her nature-loving ways. While outdoors, she plays with many animal friends: hide-and-seek with Abigail the groundhog, tree-climbing with Scotty the squirrel, and, appropriately, farting contests with Frieda the skunk. But what Julia longs to do is play with a bear. A book that she is reading mentions a bear’s favorite snack: honey. She gets a large, sticky pot full of the treat and waits. But it attracts only Scotty. So then she tries a basket of blueberries. After returning from lunch, she finds large, blue paw prints and her book missing! This ursine-loving gal just may have found someone to have a “bearnormous” picnic with—and a reading buddy as well. A palette of greens and browns, with bright pops of yellow, freshens the somewhat pedestrian illustrations (although the bear’s cozy treetop library is quite enviable, and his spectacles are a nice touch).

A how-to manual in which a love of reading shines. (Picture book. 4-7)

- Kirkus Reviews