When the bear wakes up one day, the forest seems strangely empty to him. Where are the other animals? “They’ve all moved into town”, explains the hawk. “There are heated caves, delicious food and, above all, no hunters!” The bear likes the sound of this and he sets off to roam the streets in town. 
The other animals in town want to get rid of him as quickly as possible, because “the bear is putting us in danger! We are almost invisible to people—and now comes this huge and clumsy guy! The people will get scared and get the hunters!”
But capturing such a large animal without attracting attention is not easy at all and the question is: Who is actually behaving like a bear in a china shop?
Katja Gehrmann has conceived a lavishly illustrated story bridging the gap between picture book and first reader. It is perfectly suited for all those who are just beginning to enjoy reading themselves.
by Katja Gehrmann
- White Ravens 2019
- 7 Best Books for Young Readers, June 2019
- Children’s Book Prize NRW 2019
“It is funny and you hold your breath, because it is so tense. And that’s exactly how good first readers should be. […] The images spread across the entire page and lay the trail for the text’s counterpoints. On top of that, the story tells of humans and animals, of friendship and being different, of a home away from home. Disarmingly simple and serious at the same time. Hats off! Learning to read cannot be more exciting, appetizing or profound.” – www.buchpalastmuenchen.de
“A bear adventure of a different kind, richly illustrated.” – the Jury, 7 Best Books for Young Readers
“A road movie of a special kind, in which accidents, slapstick and finally this steadfast belief in the readiness to help others lead to an adventure that can easily be translated into human conditions.” – Eselsohr, 2/2019
“Katja Gehrmann tells a child-oriented and warm-hearted story about adaptation, being different and why solidarity isn’t always easy. The text and illustrations are inherently consistent, bear upon each other and make Town Bear an outstanding story first readers.” – Culture Secretary Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen, Children’s Book Prize NRW
Moritz Verlag | hc | 96 pp | 2019 | 6+
Rights sold: Armenian, Polish, Slovak, Spanish, Turkish
[original title: Stadtbär]