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An Illustrated Visit to a Bear's Lair

In 1972, Daniel Pinkwater wrote and illustrated one of his first books for children, "Bear's Picture." This year, a new edition of the book was published — this time with pictures by renowned children's illustrator D.B. Johnson. Daniel talks about the journey of "Bear's Picture," from 1972 to the present, proving that the spirit of creativeness endures.
In 1972, Daniel Pinkwater wrote and illustrated one of his first books for children, "Bear's Picture." This year, a new edition of the book was published — this time with pictures by renowned children's illustrator D.B. Johnson. Daniel talks about the journey of "Bear's Picture," from 1972 to the present, proving that the spirit of creativeness endures.

A bear's den isn't usually inviting — unless of course you're a bear. And a bear's den that sports a "No Visitors" sign prominently on the front door would scare away even the most fearless of beasts. Except for Mouse.

In Bonny Becker's heartwarming new book, A Visitor for Bear, bold Mouse – "small and gray and bright-eyed" — is determined to visit Bear for a cup o'tea, and Bear is equally determined to keep him away. That tension sets up a delightful tale about the persistence of one small mouse in the face of one big bear and the eventual triumph of friendship.

Kady MacDonald Denton's illustrations bring these two very different characters to life with all their quirks, like Mouse's "bright" eyes and Bear's light step, portrayed in watercolor, ink and gouache.

Scott Simon and Daniel Pinkwater preview A Visitor for Bear, and read it together, adding their own particular brand of humor.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Daniel Pinkwater
Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.