A Holiday For Bear
Duncan Beedie
Templar Books

Duncan Beedie’s adorable Bear returns in a fourth story and this time on his daily walk through the forest he responds to his friend Frog’s “What’s the matter, Bear?” by saying that despite loving the forest and his friends, everything has suddenly started to feel the same. Frog tells his ursine friend that what he needs is a holiday.

Bear ponders on the kind of holiday he’d like and decides to visit the seaside. He returns to his cave, packs an enormous trunk with the necessaries and heads off to the beach. The sight of the waves rolling onto the golden sand and the tall palm trees appear so unlike anything he’s ever seen before. He finds himself the ideal spot, unpacks his case and spreads out a picnic. As he chomps on his sandwiches, thinking to himself how much the Ladybird family would like what he’s doing, a seagull watches hungrily and then takes on Bear in a game of volley ball, not very successfully.

Bear then cools off in the sea comparing it with his pond at home. He takes a dive beneath the waves and is awed by the marine flora and fauna, but wishes his pal Frog could see their beauty.

Returning to the shore to dry Bear sees what reminds him of Frog’s pond and on seeing a pair of goggly eyes between the rock, thinks they belong to Frog until that is, he is fiercely nipped on the nose. To take his mind off the crab, Bear starts collecting things to create a sculpture. What he fashions makes him realise how much he’s missing his friends so, with case repacked off he goes back to the forest. Once there he suggests to Frog that they have a holiday together. Where do you think they go?

With wonderfully droll, expressive scenes created both visually and verbally, this is certain to delight young listeners and adult readers aloud especially as the holiday season is fast approaching.