Hello, friends! Our book today is Nothing Can Frighten A Bear, written by Elizabeth Dale and illustrated by Paula Metcalf, a fun-filled modern fairytale about a bear family dealing with a few nighttime scares.

Snuggled into their cave in the woods, the Bear family – Mama, Daddy, Grace, Ben, and Baby – are awakened when Baby is startled from sleep by a mysterious roar. Insisting that he won’t be able to sleep until the source of the noise is identified, the bears head out on an expedition to help Baby face his fears. Various noises greet them but are easily explained away (a crow, a deer, a frog, etc.), all while Daddy Bear cheerfully proclaims that nothing can frighten a bear. But neither he nor Baby have noticed that the other family members are being left behind, caught up in various sticky yet non-threatening situations. And when the two realize they are alone, and more mysterious noises are headed their way, even Daddy Bear begins to feel a little nervous. Especially of those strange shadows approaching from the woods…

Wonderfully amusing fun. I don’t want to give away the ending because it’s delightful, but I promise that there is nothing even vaguely scary about this book; the bears are never in danger, and their fear is played for some really enjoyable laughs. The layout of the story is wonderful for encouraging the involvement of little readers, with easily identifiable animals and rhymes that they can join with their adult in reading aloud, and filled with bouncy text that is easy and fun to read. The illustrations are absolutely adorable and filled with lovely details, the length is great, and JJ loved it. A fantastic story about facing the fear of what goes bump in the night, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!