Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus

Abstract

Reviewed by: Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus Deborah Stevenson, Editor Antrobus, Raymond Can Bears Ski?; illus. by Polly Dunbar. Candlewick, 2020 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781536212662 $16.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 5-8 yrs Our protagonist bear cub goes through his day missing things—greeting from friends, the leadups to jokes—and he is puzzled by adults repeatedly asking him, “Can bears ski?” (“I shrug. I’m not sure I heard him right”). A conversation between Bear Dad and teacher leads to a visit to an audiologist, where therapy and hearing aids eventually open up the sounds of the world and reveal that the repeated question is actually “Can you hear me?” (“Whoa . . . is life this loud?”). Noted British poet Antrobus draws on his own personal experience of childhood deafness in a narrative that succinctly conveys the isolation of deafness but also the complexity of sensory experience—Little Bear is awakened by his dad’s thumping vibrations as well as his calls, and his focus on the crunch of the snow means the more distant greeting of a friend goes unheard. The book realistically avoids a magic wand approach and acknowledges the cognitive strain of working to hear people (and the normal kid strain of having to keep track of small, easy-to-misplace devices). Dunbar’s digital art recalls the work of Laura Vaccaro Seeger in its sturdy coziness, and the love between Dad and child is evident in every shared scene. This would be a useful partner to those books about kids learning they need glasses, and it would also help ease the way of youngsters going the hearing aid route. Copyright © 2020 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois