Quick Look
- A touching tale based on a true story that has since become legend
- Vanya Nastanlieva's enchanting illustrations bring Louise Greig's gentle verse to life
- Set in the beautiful Scottish Hebrides
One morning on a wild and quiet Hebridean island, a bear appeared where there should not have been a bear. The gentle giant would not harm a living thing. But even friendly bears don't belong on Scottish islands. Will he ever find his way home?
Description
"Anything can happen anywhere.
Anywhere was an island.
Anything was a bear."
One windy morning on a wild and quiet Hebridean island, a bear appeared where there should not have been a bear.
The gentle giant played happily in streams, danced in the wind, and would not harm a living thing. But even friendly bears don't belong on Scottish islands. Will he ever find his way home?
This touching tale, recounted in Louise Greig's gentle verse, and brought to life by Vanya Nastanlieva's enchanting illustrations, is inspired by a true story that has since become legend in the Scottish Hebrides.
Reviews
'Greig weaves magic in every line she writes.'
-- The Herald
'A truly delightful book, one to share with anyone who will appreciate the sparse but beautiful use of language, combined with dramatic but heartfelt illustrations.'
-- Books for Keeps
'With Louise Greig's gently rhyming text and Vanya Nastanlieva's wonderfully evocative hand-drawn illustrations, this is one of those children's books that is a joy to read to little bears.'
-- The Press & Journal
'The story has a rather ethereal feeling about it, like a folk tale though based on a true story from the Scottish Hebrides. The soft, beautiful illustrations create a lovely tale.'
-- Youth Services Book Review
'The Island and the Bear' is a true animal fable that has a message of overcoming fear with love at its core. It is a great gift from an area celebrated for its isolated, wild, sea-framed beauty, poetry, and music.'
-- Midwest Book Review
'It features lovely illustrations by Vanya Nastanlieva, which aptly capture the moods and shapes of the Hebridean coastline.'
-- West Coast Review
'... flashes of lilting language and perceptive phrasing lift the text... The universal themes of the story are easy for young readers to relate to and celebrating 'bear-ness' never loses its appeal! Vanya Nastanlieva's illustrations use muted, earthy colours -- browns, greys, greens and blues -- and plenty of space, evoking the sense of quiet and expansiveness of the Hebridean landscape... A special, soulful book.'
-- Armadillo
'The story is very nicely written with rhyming verse and a rhythm to read aloud. The illustrations also add to the atmosphere.'
-- Barefoot on the Croft
'Tender and lyrical... adults will just adore snuggling up to share this wonderful book with the children in their lives. I would highly recommend buying it.'
-- Catherine Ward, Waterstones customer
Author
Louise Greig is a poet and author born in Scotland. She has won several writing prizes, including the Manchester Writing for Children Competition and the Wigtown Poetry Prize. She is inspired by the Scottish landscape, and the company of animals. She lives in Aberdeen with her rescue greyhound, Smoky.
Vanya Nastanlieva was born and raised in Bulgaria. She studied book design at The National Academy of Art in Sofia, Bulgaria, and received her MA in Children's Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. Her picture book Mo and Beau was Highly Commended in the 2011 Macmillan Prize for Children's Book Illustration and was published in 2015. She currently lives in Cambridge, England.
Links
Discover more of our Scottish children's books on the Discover Kelpies website, where you can search the full Kelpies range, from board books to young teen novels, by age, genre, subject and location.
