As Strong as the River

A brown bear tells her cub about the majesty of a river in this gentle picture book debut. Relayed in a first-person perspective, the narrative follows a diminutive russet-colored cub who believes it is already big and strong—and that it will one day be the biggest and the strongest. According to the young ursine, “there’s nothing bigger or stronger than bears.” Mama disagrees with this assessment, underlining the river’s dominance as she leads the cub through the day: instructing it in how to pick berries, crossing the river with the cub on her back, conveying the importance of patience over strength when fishing, and helping the cub “find our special backscratching tree.” Layered art in rich tones highlights natural landscapes, while fine etched lines add engrossing detail. A nature-respecting read with an emphasis on an edifying parent-child relationship. Ages 3–7. [em](Mar.) [/em]