Zanni Louise

Fed up with all the people complimenting his bear suit, when he clearly is a bear, Archie heads to the woods, where he meets a bear. That is to say, he meets a bear in a boy outfit, who tells him that he is, in fact, a boy. So Archie and the bear, who both like honey sandwiches, spend some happy time together, before eventually heading back to Archie's place to get warm. Bear or boy, they have clearly become friends...

With story from Australian author Zanni Louise and artwork from British illustrator David Mackintosh, Archie and the Bear is an engaging picture-book, one which seeks to communicate the idea that we should tolerate and accept how others identify themselves, and form friendships based on mutual interests and pursuits. Clearly the boy and bear (whichever is which) are meant to be friends. The narrative seems to support the idea that the bear is a boy and Archie is a bear, having the former teach Archie to read and the latter teach the bear to catch fish. Given that this is so, I did find it a little distracting that the "bear-boy" is just called "the bear," rather than having a name of his own. Be that as it may, the story here was still fun, and the artwork striking. I loved the use of a limited but bold palette, one Mackintosh's part, and the fact that he is unafraid of the blank spaces on his page. I always appreciate an artist who doesn't find it necessary to fill every bit of the page, if it isn't necessary. Recommended to anyone looking for new picture-books about identity and friendship.… (meer)