• Age: 3 to 7
• Grade: p to 2
• Reading age: 3 to 7

The busy but careless beaver spends his days following random impulses, rarely thinking things through and leaving in his wake a devastated forest filled with stumps, half-nibbled trees and injured, homeless animals. But then one day the beaver finds himself on the wrong side of a falling tree, which as it turns out, is just the thing to knock some sense into him. After reflecting on his behavior, he decides to make some changes. Soon, the now wiser and gentler beaver is getting down to the business of making things right, much to the delighted surprise of his forest friends. This charming story from the creator of Big Bear Hug and Making the Moose Out of Life gently teaches youngsters how to take care with others, as well as the world around us.

Nicholas Oldland est le directeur artistique et l'un des propriétaires d'une entreprise de vêtements nommée Hatley. Ses motifs reconnus sont imprimés sur des pyjamas, des imperméables, des bottes de pluie et des chandails, tous signés Hatley. Aux Éditions Scholastic, il a écrit et illustré plusieurs albums dont L'ours qui aimait les arbres, L'orignal qui avait la frousse et Les amis qui ne pensaient qu'à gagner. Nicholas habite à Toronto.

Nicholas Oldland earned a degree in fine arts at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada, and enjoyed success as a commercial artist and filmmaker before taking up the role of creative director at Hatley, a popular apparel company. Big Bear Hugis his first picture book.

Nicholas Oldland's profile page

• Short-listed, Blue Spruce Award, Ontario Library Association
• Winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre
• Short-listed, Shining Willow Award, Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Award

The art's quirkiness and the text's droll delivery contribute equally to the lighthearted tone of this cautionary tale.

Publishers Weekly

Try this title as bibliotherapy for youngsters who need to focus on impulse control.

School Library Journal

We end up with a hero both gauche and inspiring, and a message that's Canadian through and through: clean up the forest, say sorry, and we can all be friends.

Quill & Quire, Starred Review

Great bibliotherapy for any inattentive busy beaver.

Kirkus Reviews