A sweet story of a brown-skinned girl, Coco, and her friend, a bear. Other animals think he's mean because he's so large, so he and Coco set out to prove them wrong by doing acts of kindness. ( )

This is one of those books, which sneaks in and warms the heart.

Bear and Coco are the oddest pair of friends, and while they get along splendidly, bear isn't happy. None of the animals understand him and are afraid of him. Coco wants to help and thinks of a way to show the animals how kind bear really is. But despite their efforts, nothing seems to turn the prejudice around.

Firstly, I love the illustrations in this tale. They carry so much detail and make the characters along with the setting really come through with tons of atmosphere. The snowy landscape and cold seems to radiate from the pages thanks to the wonderful color choices. Plus, the atmosphere is just right to let the light shine. It's fun to flip through them and get lost in the wintery forest and animals, especially since there's a wonderful mix of realistic aspects and imaginative ones.

The tale has a more traditional direction and tells a story without rhyme...which I appreciate. Coco and Bear's dialogue fits well to a little girl and shows the comfort the two share between each other. There is a very important message in all of this, and it's a very universal one. It leaves off with a smile and a bit of food for thought, and definitely has the reader wishing they could visit this forest and stomp through the snow right along with Bear and Coco.

I received a complimentary copy and found this book to be packed full off goodness. ( )