Bears Don't Read!

Bears don’t read but George is a bear who desperately desires to do so. Finding a book beneath a tree in the forest, he heads for the town, determined to find someone who will teach him. At first he encounters fear and prejudice, but eventually he finds the perfect person. The dénouement is very satisfying, with its feeling of having come full circle, as George claims ownership of his story, suggested by a bookplate at the beginning of the book.

Emma Chichester Clark uses the rich colour palette she has developed for most of the illustrations, reverting to the more pastel shades associated with her early books for the sunnier scenes. She has integrated collage in a variety of delightful ways from fabric flora and fauna to framing.