Bear Came Along

This sweet, simple story by Richard T. Morris highlights the power of friendship, cooperation, and strength in diversity. The illustrations are absolutely delectable, which one might predict from the Caldecott Honor seal emblazoned on the cover. Like a river, the text appears simple, but holds deep metaphorical meaning. In short, Bear Came Along is beautiful in all the ways. 

The story begins, “Once there was a river that flowed night and day, but it didn’t know it was a river…until…Bear came along.” Bear doesn’t realize he’s on an adventure until Froggy hops aboard his log; Froggy doesn’t appreciate how many friends she has until the Turtles show up; the Turtles know about danger but not about how to “enjoy the ride” until Beaver appears, and so on. Each new addition to Bear’s log brings an insight or skill that the last passenger lacked. The adventure climaxes as the friends approach a waterfall. They cling to each other as they descend the falls: “Bear held on to Froggy! Froggy held on to Turtles! Turtles held on to Beaver!…”. The story concludes, “So many different animals living their separate lives, but they didn’t know they were in it together…until…the river came along.”

“So many different animals living their separate lives, but they didn’t know they were in it together…until…the river came along.”

Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris

Content: 4/5

If ever a story had metaphoric promise, this book is it! The river comes along and brings very different people with different strengths, weaknesses, and skill sets together. Each character–the river, Bear, Froggy, the Turtles, Beaver, the Racoons, Duck–lack insight about themselves or the world until the next friend shows up, bringing his or her own unique perspective and skill set. By simply being himself or herself, each animal contributes something valuable to the group. The group, however, helps the animals grow beyond themselves into something they couldn’t have been on their own. When the rapids come, they survive by holding on to each other as they pitch over the side. 

What brings us together today? A shared street? Pets? Sports? Griefs? Faith? Marriage? As we interact with those very different from us, we begin to see the world through the eyes of our friends. Like the animals in Bear Came Along, we learn how to listen, how to adventure, how to have fun, how to be cautious. And when the rapids come? We are stronger and safer for holding on to each other as we pitch over the side.

Design: 5/5

I love how this book looks and feels. It’s taller than a lot of picture books. The pages are thick and richly pigmented with a combination of watercolor, gouache, and ink. The book begins with a whimsical landscape of inky greys over ivory, with only the turquoise-blue river snaking through the neutral landscape. Soon, however, new colors begin to splash across the page as one by one, animals hop onto the raft. As each animal joins the raft, another color is introduced to the book’s palette. 

Style: 4.5/5

The text and story line are fairly simple and streamlined (pun perhaps intended). Repetition “[animal has certain quality] but didn’t know…until…[another animal] came along/showed up/dropped in” and parallel construction are probably the most notable literary features. The book’s brilliance doesn’t come through complicated diction or clever word-play. However, its simple vocabulary and story line boast deep metaphoric potential, as does the text’s thought-provoking interplay with the gorgeous illustrations. 

Overall: 13.5/15

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