I Know a Bear — Mariana Ruiz Johnson

In this touching, hopeful story that reads like a modern classic, a young girl befriends a bear in the zoo. He comes from far, far away, a place he calls the Land of the Bears, where the food is sweet and the land is vast. It is a wondrous home, where the rivers are like bathtubs and naps last for months and months. But, alas, he cannot return; his new home is the zoo. And so the girl listens carefully as her friend remembers, and she imagines a world of freedom, vast and sweet.

Using a gentle tone, spare language, and gorgeous illustrations, Mariana Ruiz Johnson reminds young readers that being a good listener is what makes for a good friend.