Reviews for Bear's last journey

The average rating for Bear's last journey based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-03-05 00:00:00 Donna Gerba This is an AMAZING book about grief and dying. If you want to help your kid or a kid you care about with death - perhaps the child has a dying relative - then this is absolutely a book you should check out. We start off right away: "Bear is sick!" cried Hare as he ran through the forest. "Bear is sick!" The animals are very upset with this news. Everyone loves Bear. They all go to his den. And he was already very old. No animal could remember a time when the bear hadn't been around. Later in the book: Bear really did look ill. Some of the animals were even a little frightened by how changed he was. This is so important. Children are scared by the weight-loss and tiredness that comes with end-of-life illness, this book points that out and will warn them if you are planning to take them to see Grandma and she is emaciated and worn-down. The book goes on to say: "My dear friends," he said, "I have to say good-bye to you. I'm going on a very special journey, one that every bear and every animal makes at the end of his life." "A journey? Where to? Can we come too?" asked the little fox. The bear smiled. "No. Everyone makes this journey on his own," he said. I was afraid that the book was going to keep up this "journey" shit and not mention what was actually happening, but "But... but... you're not dying?" stammered rabbit, shocked. "Yes, I am," said the bear gently. "I don't have much time left." Not all the animals understand about death. "But you can't just die and leave us alone!" cried the little fox indignantly. "Unfortunately, that's not for me to decide," said the bear. "And I am very tired. I have to admit that I would really like to stretch out and sleep for a long, long, time - for many, many winters." This is great - it acknowledges children's (and adult's) anger that a person is leaving them or abandoning them by dying, but emphasizes that this is not the dying person's decision but instead natural. Also, I like how the book states that old people or ill people are very tired and may not be as afraid of death as we think they might be. Stuff happens, but later in the book, the fox asks Bear what it means to be dead. "No one knows exactly," said Bear. "Many say that one simply sleeps. And others say that one goes to heaven. And that's what I believe." "Why?" asked Fox, pricking up his ears. "I have dreamed about it," said Bear. "Everyone who loved me and who had died before me was there - my parents and grandparents and friends. I saw them as clearly as I see you now. They were waiting for me and they welcomed me." "But what if there's no heaven?" asked Fox. "Well, I'm going to find out," said Bear. "And so will you. A long, long time from now. After a good long fox life." This is GREAT and amazing. Whether you are raising a kid in a religion or raising him/her as an atheist, this book is clear and positive and reassuring. I like how they address Heaven and how they address the possibility that it may not exist - it leaves it open for the parent/educator to interject whatever they want, and it's very kind and inclusive. Later, "Bear is dead," he told all the animals. "He just fell asleep and never woke up." All the animals went to the bear's den to stroke his paws for the last time. Then Badger gave out Bear's things so that each animal would have something to remember him by. But the little fox didn't want anything. "I will always remember the bear; I don't need anything to remind me of him!" This is excellent. "He died in his sleep" - which is what you should always tell children. The animals going to pay respects to Bear's dead body and touching him in a loving way to say good-bye. The fox's defiant statement that HE would never forget his beloved Bear, so HE doesn't need anything as a keepsake. Very excellent. They seal up bear's den and place flowers in front of it. Then they have the absolute best kind of funeral: A few days later the animals gathered in the clearing. They all told stories about the bear, about what he had said and done and the good times they had had with him....... they saw him again in their memories. It was as if Bear was not really gone. And it hurt a little less. EXCELLENT. How wonderful to teach children that you can keep someone alive and with you in your heart through thoughts and memories. And how wonderful to promote the idea of everyone sharing their memories and stories of the deceased in order to celebrate his life. Badger turned to the little fox. "None of us will forget Bear," he said, "and that's why he will always be with us. But Bear really wanted you to have his old ball." The little fox nodded, then clasped the bear's ball tightly in his arms. This is excellent, because Badger kindly tells Fox that Bear wanted him to have this ball, and that accepting the ball doesn't mean Fox didn't love Bear enough to keep his memory even without a keepsake. This is important and Badger is compassionate and kind to fox. Tl;dr - One of the best grief books for children in existence. Kind, straightforward, and comprehensive - this is everything you could possibly want in a children's book about dealing with a dying relative or friend. Highly, highly recommended if you have or know a Little One who is struggling with grief. Highest marks.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-03-15 00:00:00 Pat Tadd A very sweet and informative book about dying and grief to help children of all ages have a discussion about it. A bear is dying, and does finally die. His friends gather around, especially his close friend, a little fox, and they talk with him through their confusion and pain and love. I really liked it a lot. Not sappy. People die, and you have to figure it out to the extent you are able. Which is never very easy, or without pain. I read it because Carmen gave it five stars. She tells more about the book than I am doing, including more of the actual story.