Archie and the Bear

August 1, 2018
A story about a little boy with a bear-sized imagination--or perhaps a fantastic friendship with a bear.Readers may debate how much of the story's action is real and how much imagined, but as it opens it's clear that Archie is fed up with everyone telling him he's not a bear. Small and angry, he stomps off the recto while wearing what appears to be a bear hat, brown jacket, and gloves. "It's NOT a suit," he objects to looming adults who are visible only from the knees down. "I AM a bear!" The next spread zooms out to a distant perspective, rendering Archie a minute speck on the verso as he approaches a forest. There, he meets a large black bear wearing a red shirt, and when "Archie realized the bear was friendly, he said, 'I like your boy suit.' " The bear, incensed, insists "It's NOT a suit....I AM a boy!" Archie goes along with this, and a friendship is born. They cavort about the woods, teaching each other bear things (Archie teaches these) and boy things (the bear teaches those), ultimately ending up at Archie's house. Throughout, illustrations maximize the characters' extreme size difference, and gestural watercolors combined with blocky collage and textured pencil offer a multimedia feast for the eyes. A striking, imaginative, beary good book. (Picture book. 3-7)

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January 1, 2019
Archie identifies as a bear, but, frustratingly, people only see a boy in a "bear suit." Archie takes off into the forest and meets a large bear that wears a "boy sweater" and identifies as a boy. Dynamic perspectives in the bold mixed-media spreads enrich this story of identity, acceptance, and new friendship as the pals skip stones, fish, and share honey sandwiches.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

March 14, 2017
Archie and the Bear is the whimsical first collaboration between author Zanni Louise and illustrator David Mackintosh. It’s the story of a boy who is sure he’s a bear, and a bear who insists he’s a boy. Archie is sick and tired of no one listening when he tells them he is a bear. He packs some honey sandwiches and goes out into the woods, where he meets a bear in a boy suit. The pair recognise each other as kindred spirits, and work together on all sorts of bear and boy activities. It’s a sweet tale of friendship and being true to yourself. Louise (author of Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book Too Busy Sleeping) has captured the humour and stubbornness of a child’s imagination in this story. Mackintosh makes great use of space with his unpredictable and charmingly distinctive illustrations, and their surreal quality suits the story perfectly. Archie and the Bear is suitable for children aged three and up. Fans of odd, humorous picture books such as Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back and Mo Willems’ work will enjoy this title. Amy Nicholls-Diver is a primary literacy editor from Melbourne