Bear

I enjoy Todd-Stanton's fantastical art in his picture-book length graphic novels, and I was interested to see this new book he created in conjunction with Ben Queen.
Bear has a special job. His siblings are K-9 workers, but he's a guide dog for the blind. He's well-trained and dedicated to his job, taking care of Patrick. Patrick is twenty-eight, repairs vending machines, and likes to read. He's also blind. He applied for a guide dog to make him more efficient in his work, and he and Bear bonded from the first day they met. They're the perfect team, until something terrifying happens to Bear - a sudden black patch blocks out the light and he's lost and panicked.

Patrick calls Meg, who runs the organization that trained Bear, and the two show more are worried about Bear's health and make plans to get him checked out immediately. But Bear is confused and terrified. If he can't do his job, will they take him away from Patrick? If he can't do his job, is he still special? He falls easy prey to the malicious story told to him by Uncle, the leader of the raccoon band hiding under the house, and runs to the woods to find magic to heal him.

Bear's quest leads him to new friends, family, and many revelations about himself and his senses. He learns that he is more than his job and that Patrick needs him no matter what. He also makes friends with a different kind of bear and the two travel together through the woods, town, and city.

As Bear's sometimes frightening, sometimes beautiful journey progresses, Patrick and Meg bond as they search for Bear and learn about each other.

Finally, there is a happy conclusion for all; Bear is able to resume his job, but he has gained the self-confidence and knowledge to allow him to consider himself worthy whether or not he gains his sight. Patrick and Meg have gained a new understanding of each other and a deep friendship, and the raccoons, well, they are raccoons!

Queen talks in the end about some of the more philosophical and scientific background to the ideas of sight, perspective, and mental pictures and mentions that he consulted blind individuals for accuracy.

Verdict: This is a beautiful, intense story but I'm not sure exactly who the audience is. If you have fans of graphic novels like Mouse Guard, that would be the best bet. It's fine for younger kids, although there are scary moments there is minimal blood and it's more atmospheric than graphic terror. The philosophical tone and reflection may appeal more to introspective readers though, who are likely to be older.

ISBN: 9781684155316; Published August 2020 by Archaia; Borrowed from another library in my consortium show less

Recommended by Hannah at the Carle bookshop

A remarkable story of two halves of an equally devoted pair: there's Patrick, a blind human who repairs vending machines, and Bear, a lab/retriever canine who comes from a family of K-9 dogs but works as a guide dog and is matched with Patrick. The two get along beautifully - until the day Bear sees something frightening. It's a black spot in his vision, growing until it takes over, and Bear worries: how can he be Patrick's guide if he can't see?

Tricked by a family of raccoons, Bear goes into the woods, where he meets a real bear (and pictures his den like a human den, with an armchair and lamp and bookshelves). Bear and bear leave the forest and wind up in Manhattan, where they meet bats in a show more church bell tower and Bear's littermate, Jake. Paralleling Bear's journey is Patrick's journey, together with Meg, who trained Bear, as they search for him.

This book is an emotional journey with pinpricks of humor throughout (and, spoiler alert, the dog does NOT die).

See also: The Rough Patch by Brian Lies, Rescue & Jessica by Jessica Kensky show less

A weird and displeasing fantasy story about a guide dog named Bear trying to cope with the sudden onset of his own disability. While his owner searches for him, Bear wanders around and gets involved with various raccoons, bears and bats, ending up in New York City. The story required more dumb coincidences than I could tolerate.

Bear, like his siblings, has a special job to do. He’s a little disappointed because he’s trained to be a guide dog instead of a K-9 officer. The gets over it after meeting his master, Patrick. They are an instant good match and with Bear’s help Patrick feels like he is flying through life. Alas, though one day, bear begins to lose his vision. He knows that he can no longer be a seeing-eye dog if he can’t see. Bear is desperate to fix his problem and is tricked by some raccoons living nearby. After getting lost away from his home in the woods, Bear meets many wildlife friends along the way, who help him see the world in a new way. Even though, can he an Patrick’s relationship ever be the same?

I liked how the illustrator used show more rich pictures complimented by the author’s text to pull me into the dog’s world. The story was a good introduction for children by showing how blind people adapt in the seeing world.
The story of Bear’s journey and how he got lost was quite strange and underdeveloped.

Still, this was a well-done book that fills an important need in the world of children’s literature. show less

Recommended Ages: Gr. 5-7 (appropriate for younger but the double imagery may be confusing to younger)

Plot Summary: Bear was born to be a police dog like his siblings, but he just wasn't cut out for the job. Instead, he trained to be a guide dog and was matched with Patrick, a 28 year old man. Most guide dogs have to keep the same routine every day, but Bear does not and can help Patrick get to his vending machines to fix. It's a perfect match and both Bear and Patrick are happy until one day, Bear's vision disappears. It happens quick, and it scares Patrick. They make it back home, where Bear sleeps and Patrick calls Meg to come help. While Meg and Patrick make a plan, Bear talks to the family of raccoons that is living under the show more house. The raccoons convince him to go to the woods to find the other animals that can see without their eyes. Bear trusts the raccoons and follows them into the forest. What will happen when they come across three real bears, two of which are very hungry?

Setting: possibly out west in Oregon because of the trees, city with city bus but close to the forest

Characters:
Bear - half golden retriever, half chocolate labrador
Patrick - 28 yo, vending repair man, loves to read
Meg - woman who works at the guide dog place
Jake - Bear's brother
Andromeda - bat
Stone - friendly bear
Jasper and Flint - Stone's brothers who are hungry
Uncle, Denver, Triplets - raccoons

Recurring Themes: confidence, teamwork, guide dog, blindness, success,

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: This fictional book has some really amazing moments. I learned so much about guide dogs and being blind. I was confused by the illustrations often and would probably do better rereading it after seeing the character sketches in the back show two different ways to illustrate the same character. The author's note about how the brain is the main organ that helps the body see is fascinating. Also, as an adult, I really liked the happy ending with Patrick and Meg.

Genre: realistic fiction that has some imaginative parts that some students could perceive as fantasy

Pacing: fast, graphic novel
Characters: a little confusing because the characters can be drawn in two different ways to prove a point that your brain is what sees the picture, not just your eyes, for example the bear Stone resembles a dog in Bear's mind
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: show less

A guide dog loses his vision and goes on a missipn to get it back. This was a really cute story and I enjoyed it a lot.

This book is about a guide dog named Bear that would do anything for his owner. Bear takes on a quest from the forest to the city to regain his sight to help his bestfriend. This book shows how Bear tranforms and leads his way to vision. I recommend this book to all.