“Irresistible . . . playfully existential.â€
-- O, The Oprah Magazine
"Bear’s search for himself doesn’t matter so much as the charm of Lavie’s storytelling voice as he narrates it . . . Erlbruch gives the bear big, puzzled-looking eyes and a lovable grin. He lives in a forest made of ornate trees seemingly lifted from vintage engravings, whose delicate lines play off Bear’s dumpy figure. Bear’s encounters with various characters—the Turtle Taxi, the Penultimate Penguin—feature gentle wordplay and Lewis Carroll–like paradoxes . . . Everything is new to Bear, and his discoveries will delight readers."
--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Erlbruch's playful, distinctive illustrations . . . are sublime."
--Kirkus Reviews
"The volume is filled with surreal gags about prepositions and adverbs, cheerful absurdity, and down the rabbit hole–style musings."
--School Library Journal
"The book is filled with the bear’s paradoxical, enigmatic, and sometimes Zen-like musings as he meets various creatures in the forest who assist him . . . This one would make for a thought-provoking read-aloud at story time. Get those children settled—it’s a lengthy text—and present to them this gloriously left-of-center tale. Watch their heads spin. It’ll be memorable."
--Kirkus Reviews, new children's books feature
"Young readers with a philosophical nature and an appreciation for provocative silliness will be especially gratified by Bear’s self-discovery . . . Erlbruch’s illustrations, which look like etchings, fit the story well. The Fabulous Forest effectively evokes a fairy tale feel, and Bear, a portly fellow with huge eyes, a bright red mouth, and colorful flecks in his black fur, is loveable at first sight."
--New York Journal of Books
"This cheeky book . . . is a melding of Phantom Tollbooth logic, Alice in Wonderland whimsy, and peppered with a cast of unforgettable Little Prince like characters . . . You can't help fall into the imaginative world of this delightfully clever picture book."
--BookBloom
"It is mix between Alice in Wonderland's absurd characters and Shel Silverstein's poetic prose with a mix of the wonders of The Wizard of Oz . . . blended into a story that captures the idea of identity and so much more."
--Mrs. Mommy Booknerd
"What a fantastic read!"
--Reviews in Chalk
"Here's something for those of you who are tired of all the little bunnies and chicks found in picture books. He's big, lost and finding his way. You can help him find home."
--Journey of a Bookseller
"A joyful trio of language, picture, and wordplay, as accessible and delectable to a child as to an adult."
--Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany's largest national daily newspaper)
One day, a few minutes after Once Upon a Time, a bear awakes to find he has lost something very important: himself! He sets out into the Fabulous Forest to find himself, using only a few clues scrawled on a piece of paper: the bear he's looking for is a nice bear; he is a happy bear; and he's very handsome too! These sound like pretty good qualities to Bear, and so begins his memorable journey. With the help of Fabulous Forest critters like the Convenience Cow, the Lazy Lizard, and the Penultimate Penguin, Bear finds that he himself is just what he's been looking for all along: a nice, happy bear--and handsome too!
As whimsical as Winnie-the-Pooh and as wryly comic as Klassen's bear who wants his hat back, The Bear Who Wasn't There joins a select crew of unusual bears who have captured the imagination of children for generations.
