Bear Is Never Alone
Marc Veerkamp and Jeska Verstegen
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

An ursine piano player entrances the forest community with his beautiful music making, but non-stop playing is very tiring and the other animals demand more than the exhausted creature can give, so he stops for a break. However, the listeners just won’t hear of it and yell, “More, more, more!’ repeatedly

until pushed to his limits, Piano Bear gives forth an almighty ROOOOAAAAR’ that scares even himself.

Then comes a tirade from the other animals, which Bear ignores completely. When the last of their voices has disappeared Bear looks up: “I’m alone,” he sighs. However, this isn’t so, for there in front of him stands a zebra.

A thoughtful zebra that offers to read Bear a story in return for all his beautiful music making. Initially Bear refuses but straightaway changes his mind and calls her back with “Zebra, wait! I have an idea! Let’s be alone together.” After all, having a story read to you by a friend is a fun experience he doesn’t want to miss.

Yes, the ending feels a trifle abrupt but the author’s message about Bear’s need for some solitude after giving of himself for so long, definitely comes through in Laura Watkinson’s translation of Dutch author Marc Veerkamp’s telling. Stars of the show, along with Bear, are Jeska Verstegen’s mixed media black and white illustrations with occasion splashes of red for this story that provides just sufficient space for readers and listeners to form an understanding of how we should treat one another. I love the way she builds that dramatic crescendo of the listening animals’ demands across several double spreads culminating in Bear’s almighty roar.