Nicholas Oldland

Bear, Moose and Beaver, three woodland friends whose escapades have been chronicled by Canadian author/illustrator Nicholas Oldland in five previous picture books, return in this sixth tale, this time celebrating Christmas. Making all of the preparations—baking, hanging stockings, stringing lights—the trio realize they have forgotten something very important: the Christmas tree! But when their sojourn to find one locates the perfect arboreal specimen, a problem arises: tree-hugging Bear show more will not let Beaver chop down the fir, in order to bring it inside. Is Christmas ruined? Or can an alternative be found...?

As always with the books in Oldland's Life in the Wild series, there is a message in One Wild Christmas—in this case, about preserving the beauty of the natural world, and finding a way to celebrate the holiday that satisfies all participants. I found the story here amusing, particularly as it hearkened back to the hilarious initial book in the series, Big Bear Hug, which established our ursine hero's great love of trees. Fans of these characters will enjoy the holiday hi-jinks, and the amusing cartoon-like illustrations. For my part, I see that there is a seventh installment, Hockey in the Wild, which I now plan to track down. show less

It's another hilarious picture-book from Canadian children's author/artist Nicholas Oldland, whose debut venture in the field, Big Bear Hug, had me in stitches - and the results do not disappoint! Taking up the story of Beaver, the castorine friend of Big Bear, and of Moose (the star of Oldland's Making the Moose Out of Life), this endearing picture-book follows it titular hero as he wreaks havoc amongst his companions and neighbors, not through malice, but through carelessness. Busy, but show more heedless, Beaver causes any number of accidents, until he himself is the victim of his own thoughtlessness. Can he reform himself? Will those he has harmed accept his apologies...?

Like its two predecessors, The Busy Beaver is an amusing book, and I got a good chuckle out of many of the scenes, particularly the one in which Beaver returns from the hospital, and Bear (along with all the other creatures) takes to his heels, screaming: "Run for your lives!" Oldland has a distinctively droll sense of humor, that comes across very well, both in his simple text and his expressive (but simple) artwork. I appreciated this one, however, not just as an amusing tale, but as a sensitive, non-didactic look at a number of important issues: being mindful in the way one lives, recognizing the mistakes one has made, and seeking to make restitution for the harm one has done. Well done, Nicholas Oldland - this was an entertaining and thoughtful little picture-book adventure! show less

"There once was a bear so filled with love and happiness that whenever he roamed the forest and came across another living thing, he would give it a hug." Yes, this was a bear that believed in spreading the love, and he'd never met a creature he didn't want to embrace, whether moose or snake. He was especially fond of the trees: big and small, apple and pear, this bear "never met a tree he didn't like." And then one day, coming upon a man about to chop down one of the oldest, tallest, and show more loveliest trees in the forest, the bear suddenly didn't feel like hugging anymore...

Canadian artist Nicholas Oldland's debut picture-book, Big Bear Hug reduces me to helpless giggling every time I read it. The startled (one might even say, distressed) expressions on the faces of the various creatures on the receiving end of the bear's big hugs are simply hysterical! The bear's enthusiasm - at one point he tries to hug a beaver and a tree at the same time - is delightful, and his solution to the problem of the would-be tree-chopper satisfying. A simple parable about loving the forest and its creatures, this little gem should appeal to any tree-hugger out there with a sense of humor! show less

Canadian picture-book creator Nicholas Oldland returns to the wild world of Bear, Moose and Beaver in this fourth picture-book, this time chronicling how the three friends must learn to work together, during the course of a canoe trip. Each animal has his own ideas about steering, paddling, and what to do when one encounters a beaver dam. Their arguing eventually leads them into a hairy situation, as they shoot toward a particularly wild series of rapids...

Having greatly enjoyed the previous show more three picture-books about these friends - there is one each, for Bear, Moose and Beaver - I picked up this fourth entry in Oldland's series with great anticipation. I love the sense of humor in these stories, and the way they gently impart important messages without ever feeling didactic. Here the message is about working together to achieve a common goal, and it is delivered naturally, through an amusing tale. As ever, Oldland's simple artwork is drolly expressive, capturing the sense of humor throughout. Recommended to anyone who has read and enjoyed other books about these characters, and to anyone seeking children's stories about teamwork. show less