Spring was a few weeks ago, or it will be in next year. But regardless of how you count the seasons, there is a special moment in the day, early when you can smell spring in the air, even in your sleep, like Bear does. And if Bear had slept one second longer, he would have missed the event that is the center of Love Is in the Bear.
Okay, so that is a bit poetic, but so is this picture book (due mid-October 2023, read via an online reader copy). Bear and Chickadee’s story is a sweet one, so I am going to do all the poetic I want! The idea is when Bear hears Chickadees song, he is in love with it. He learns that she is practicing to be able to audition for the Opera. Plus, she and wants to sing a duet. Much practice later, the auditions arrive, and the results are in, but not what they hoped for. Of course, these two friends help each other, support each other, and love each other regardless of the ups and downs of their lives.
Judith Henderson knows a thing or two about language and paints a delightful word picture, with dialogue and fun sounds (Bears wake up time is musical in a way). And of course, the illustrations that Nahid Kazemi does are equally poetic and musical. The cover is a perfect example of how colors are used. Details vary from page to page, but things are usually busy, but not necessarily crowed. The words and text mix together, supporting each other.
Overall, the story is good, maybe not my favorite, but I enjoy. And the art is the same, but I like the floating feeling of them. I like also that the chickadee is singing and not the actual spring sound (fee-bee instead of chickadee), and I like the full circle of starting and ending about the same place. They are what makes the book for me, and what makes it probably best for ages five and up, but for sure this is an adult book and kids are a nice bonus if they like it, too.
