A Bear Far From Home by Susan Fletcher Book Review

 

This poignant historical nonfiction book, about a polar bear that was gifted to King Henry III, beautifully shows the importance of respecting our natural world and its precious animals.

Long ago, when kings and queens ruled much of the world, the king of Norway gave the king of England a bear.

Imagine a polar bear at ease in her natural arctic world, her only home--until trappers capture her and take her to the king of England.

Imagine a polar bear in her lonely new world, stuck in a cage. This small, enclosed space is her only home--until King Henry III decrees that she be brought to the Thames River every day to swim and fish.

Imagine now this same polar bear dipping a curious paw in the river water, then leaping in with a joyful splash. And it is here, in this unfamiliar, faraway land, in one small way, that she finds home once again.

My Thoughts:

I love when children books have history involved. This story is based off of letters and documents from the thirteen century. Without a lot of information on the facts this story was created. The last two pages in the book give you information on the history and the illustrator Rebecca Green.

This story is about a polar bear that was taken from its home from the King of Norway to give as a gift to the King of England. It talks about her freedom in Norway while with her mother and all the things a polar bear does. One day her world is turned upside down by trappers. She is put on a big boat in a cage and is taken to England. From the sea she is escorted down the Thames River and then into the streets to the Tower of London. This is where King Henry kept his other collections of animals.

She sat in her cage with other odd animals and sounds. One day during one of King Henry's visits he wanted to make her happy and ordered his staff to take her out and let her fish and swim in the river. She finds happiness and new home.

The illustrations are lovely and are fun to explore. They fit the style of the art of that time period. This story made me sad seeing that she was still a captive in a strange place far from home without any other polar bears. 

I’m sure many kids will think the same thing. I’m not saying the story is horrible as it is well written. If you’re reading this book you may have a hard time expressing the purpose of the story. After some thought I thought of a few things, “Make the best out of any situation.” Or maybe it is “Having compassion on all of God’s creatures.” The theme is unique in the story. There are a lot of conversations you as a parent can have with your child.

A lovely book overall with an interesting story that is unique.

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product in exchange for my honest thoughts.