• Age: 3 to 7
• Grade: k to 12

It’s a bright and beautiful day at the lake where a boy and his mother are camping. The boy is just a little scared of jumping into the water. At the same time, not too far away, a hungry bear cub is a little scared of diving deep into a dumpster, where tasty snacks await.

Later, when the boy encounters a distraught mama bear sniffing around the dumpster, he’s very scared. But so is her bear cub, who is trapped inside! Bold, graphic artwork moves the narrative along in this mostly-wordless book full of sound effects and simple variations on a single phrase full of so many meanings (“He was scared”). Parallel stories of the mother and son, and mama and cub, come together when the campers, despite being scared, help rescue the cub from the dumpster.

This simple, moving story invites readers to observe expressions, body language, and details hidden in the illustrations to follow the narrative. It’s a sweet summer read that normalizes fear and encourages acting with courage and compassion—even when you’re scared.

Si pudiera, Andrée Poulin se la pasaría leyendo todo el día. Su amor por la lectura es lo que la llevó a escribir. Después de trabajar como periodista durante muchos años, trabajó en el desarrollo internacional. Ella ha escrito más de treinta libros para niños de todas las edades. Muchos han ganado premios, especialmente el TD Children’s Literature Award (Premio de Literatura Infantil TD, en francés) para La plus grosse poutine du monde, ahora traducido al inglés y publicado por Annick Press como The Biggest Poutine in the World (2016). Sus cuentos tratan sobre la amistad, la empatía, la tolerancia, la pobreza y la solidaridad.

Andrée cree que los libros pueden cambiar el mundo. Al hacer que los escenarios de sus cuentos sean en Canadá, África y Asia, lleva a sus lectores a vivir aventuras que les permiten descubrir otras culturas, como lo hace en Pablo encuentra un tesoro. 

A Andrée le encanta compartir su pasión por la lectura y su placer por escribir con niños. Ella escribe un blog, revisa libros para la Campaña Nacional de Lectura y ofrece talleres para jóvenes en escuelas y bibliotecas. 

Andrée nació y se crió en Orléans, Ontario. Ella ahora vive en Gatineau, Quebec. 

If she could, Andrée Poulin would read from morning to night. Her love of reading is what brought her to writing. After working as a journalist for many years, she worked in international development. She has written over thirty books for children of all ages. Many have won awards, most notably the TD Children’s Literature Award (French language) for La plus grosse poutine du monde, now translated into English and published by Annick Press as The Biggest Poutine in the World (2016). Her stories deal with friendship, empathy, tolerance, poverty, and solidarity. 

Andrée believes that books can change the world. By setting her stories in Canada, Africa, and Asia, she takes her readers on adventures in discovering other cultures, as she does in Pablo Finds a Treasure (2016, available in Spanish in Fall 2018). Her latest book with Annick Press is That’s Not Hockey! (Fall 2018), a picture book based on the life of the inventor of the goalie mask, Jacques Plante. 

Andrée loves to share her passion for reading and her pleasure for writing with children. She writes a blog, reviews books for the National Reading Campaign, and gives workshops for youth in schools and libraries. 

Andrée was born and raised in Orléans, Ontario. She now lives in Gatineau, Quebec.

Andrée Poulin's profile page

Véronique Joffre is a French illustrator based in London. She studied illustration and graduated from École Estienne in Paris and École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg.

Véronique Joffre's profile page

• Commended, Best Books for Kids and Teens
• Commended, Best picture books of the year

"Conquering fears, helping others, and perhaps a message about wild animals and human garbage—though almost wordless, this book certainly says a lot."

Kirkus Reviews - STARRED REVIEW

“Relevant issues, such as emotional resilience, good stewardship, and challenging oneself, together with the thoughtful illustrations, make this a worthy purchase for libraries.”

School Library Journal

"This picture book...makes the great outdoors a little less scary."

The Globe and Mail

“A most enjoyable read. The details…will delight little ones who like to anticipate what might happen next.”

Sal’s Fiction Addiction