Bear Came Along
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| Author | Richard T. Morris |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | LeUyen Pham |
| Publisher | Little, Brown, and Company |
Publication date | June 1, 2019 |
| Pages | unpaged |
| Awards | Caldecott Honor |
| ISBN | 9780316464451 |
Bear Came Along is a 2019 picture book by Richard T. Morris and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. It tells the story of a group of animals on a river adventure. Published on June 1, 2019, Bear Came Along was based on memories Morris had of going to overnight camp for the first time. The watercolors, ink, and gouache illustrations Pham created were special for her. Critics wrote about her ability to juggle several different tones through the pictures. These illustrations were also generally seen as complementing the book's theme of being connected to others. The book was generally well reviewed and received a 2020 Caldecott Honor.
The book's author, Richard T. Morris, said he based the bear character on his first time camping overnight.[1] In an interview, illustrator LeUyen Pham said that she knew what the finished book would look like immediately after reading the manuscript and she eagerly accepted the commission.[2] She created the end pages first, with the ones at the start in black and white and with the ones at the end in color, which helped her to understand the universe of the book.[2] Pham felt that the book came at a time that the United States was divided and gave her a chance to tell a story of unity.[2]
The book was published on June 1, 2019.[3] There was also an audio book, narrated by Joshua Manning, which used sound effects and a soundtrack to convey the journey.[4]
Plot
A river lacks identity until a bear came along and fell into the river and is carried along on a log. This begins an adventure where the bear is joined going downstream by a frog, turtles, a beaver, raccoons, and a duck. Each has a trait or knowledge and also lacks knowledge of something. For instance, the beaver knows how to navigate but doesn't know about detours. After the duck joins, the group encounters a waterfall. The animals land safely and realize they "were in it together".[5]
