posted on 11 Jul 2024

Brown Bears by Dr Nick Crumpton, illustrated by Colleen Larmour

Big brown bears have become so much part of our storytelling traditions – in books, films and even cartoons – that you sometimes have to take a moment to remember that these are magnificent, real-life wild animals that have to survive and flourish against considerable odds.

This informative, bold and lavishly illustrated book is chockfull of facts and information about the wonderful brown bears that can be found across much of the northern hemisphere and down into Asia (check the map at the back of the book to see how they are spread). Here, Nick Crumpton has told the story of a year in the life of one brown bear family in Alaska – a mother and two new cubs who emerge into the outside world as Spring arrives.

It’s the mother’s job to teach her cubs the skills that will be required as they grow older and it’s also her job to feed and protect them. Bears have an astonishing sense of smell and find certain aromas irresistible and that can sometimes lead them into conflict with humans as the bears are drawn to towns where food has been thrown out into bins. All I can say is watch out if you’ve got any liquorice or peanut butter that you’ve left out in the open….

It's the job of the mother to look after cubs and to keep them safe from any male brown bears that they might come into contact with. The males are huge – much bigger that the females – solitary and likely to attack cubs unless the mother gets in the way. She needs to be brave to make an attack on the cubs not worth chancing.

As the end of summer approaches, it’s time to start eating and eating in order to bulk up for the winter hibernation. They tuck away as much food as possible so that fatty deposits can be drawn on as they go into suspended animation and sleep right through. By the time they emerge again they will have halved their body weight and need to find food again as quickly as possible.

The author has included a whole host of annotations in italics that supplement the main story and, along with the superb and realistic illustrations from Colleen Larmour we get a rounded sense of the way these noble creatures spend their time.

Available from Walker Books, you will be able to get a copy from your local independent bookshop – who will, of course, be happy to oder you a copy if the don’t have it on their shelves.

 

Terry Potter

July 2024