Mika: The Bear Who Didn't Want to Sleep - Hardcover

Erik Kriek is a freelance illustrator and comic artist who studied illustration and graphic arts at the Rietveld Academy for Art and Design in Amsterdam. His popular comic book series, Gutsman, received national acclaim and was adapted for the stage, earning Erik the 2008 Stripschapprijs. He is currently based in Amsterdam.

PreS-Gr 1-Little Mika, a bear cub from the Far North, enjoys his summer, splashing in the river and eating delicious food that Mama and Papa Bear bring him. As days grow colder and winter approaches, Mika talks to an old owl and finds out about hibernating, and also about the Northern Lights. Not wanting to miss the special sight, he decides that he will not sleep through the winter and sneaks out of his den when his parents fall asleep. He asks different animals for directions, and eventually encounters the owl again, who points out the magnificent display in the sky. While the little bear watches, his worried parents arrive, having tracked his prints in the snow. Together, they watch "the beautiful lights" and retreat back to their cave for peaceful slumber. Kriek's delightful illustrations have a vintage feel; the cover is reminiscent of Lynd Ward's The Biggest Bear, though the images are closer in style to Robert McCloskey's. VERDICT There is certainly no shortage of bear books, but this quaint Dutch import just might be charming enough to merit addition to most large collections.-Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Library, Boston Universityα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.