Bear in the Family

On returning to their home after a massive wildfire, nine-year-old Jasmin and her seven-year-old brother, Hunter, thought the biggest surprise would be whether their fire-resistant house had survived. 

Jasmin and Hunter did not expect to find an orphaned bear cub stuck in the neighbors’ well. Rescuing the tiny cub from the well was the easy part; now they need to care for it until the people from the bear-rescue sanctuary can make it safely through the fires to pick it up. The cub turns out to be exactly what one would expect of a wild animal—a huge handful! 

Jasmin and her family have many positive qualities that make learning about their wildfire experience suspenseful rather than frightening. On the ride back to their home, Jasmin’s parents remind the children that their house may have burned down, like many of their neighbors’ homes. The uncertainty keeps readers engaged while highlighting the effects of wildfires. This also introduces the importance of fire-resistant houses and defensible space. Through the story, Jasmin’s parents use positive communication skills to guide and teach their children as they learn about wildfires and caring for an injured animal. 

What gives the story the most appeal is the baby bear cub that the family finds and names Boo-Boo. While the entire family helps care for the bear, it has a special relationship with Jasmin and the family dog, Bruno. After finding the bear, Jasmin feeds Boo-Boo a bottle of baby formula, which makes the bear attached to her. Later in the story, Jasmin and Bruno cuddle up and sleep with the bear. The relationship the bear has with Jasmin and Bruno is sweet. However, the book doesn’t stress the importance of keeping wild animals from becoming attached to humans so they can be reintroduced into the wild. 

The story is told in nine short chapters, with black-and-white illustrations approximately every three pages. The illustrations help readers visualize the story’s events, and the frequent animal pictures will delight young nature lovers. Interesting bear facts are presented in a fun, kid-friendly way. As part of the Orca Echoes Series — designed for readers ages 7–9 — the book features accessible text and focuses on social responsibility, character-building, and relatable everyday adventures. The author’s note also includes information about donating to animal shelters. 

Since our world is increasingly affected by wildfires, young readers are likely to see frightening images in the news or hear stories about fires. Bear in the Family introduces a frightening topic in an appealing, child-friendly way, depicting the destructive nature of fire while maintaining a hopeful tone. Another positive aspect of the story is Jasmin’s family—a traditional two-parent biracial family—who treat each other kindly. Bear in the Family will help children understand and cope with a wildfire. Because of the book’s topic, adults may want to guide children through the reading experience and be ready to answer any questions they have. There are also several other books that explore the effects of wildfires, including Out of the Woods, The Fox and the Forest Fire, and Wildfire Rescue. Readers interested in helping injured animals should check out Rescuing Animals from Disasters and Odder.  

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None 

Language  

• None 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None