Benno's Bear

I saw a thumbnail review of this book, and the author's comment of how she came to write it, intrigued me enough to buy a copy, ostensibly for my grandson, but really for myself. It seemed she was traveling by train in Eastern Europe and out of her window she noticed a large bear on a chain disappearing into a crowd of people. From that brief observance was born the inspiration for this marvelous story about a small boy, his overbearing father, and the trained bear that provided them with a living. The book opens with both boy and bear imprisoned in adjoining cells, and from that moment it becomes more than a book for young people, but a story for all ages. The characters are realistically drawn, yet there is still a sense of wonder and hope in the portrayal of the boy's efforts to overcome the obstacles to his own safety and happiness. His loyalty to the animal he has helped raise from a cub and to his miserable father, who knows no other life than that of hardship and cruelty, portray the courage of youth despite the setbacks of poverty and loneliness. How his plight is resolved is played out in a elegiac summer that is both mystical and real. A rare and exquisite rendering of a master storyteller.

Benno's Bear by N.F. Zucker is the best children's book I've read in ages. The plot is unique and engaging, but it was the author's vivid descriptions that really drew me in. In elegant yet simple prose, Zucker renders a child's inner voice with perfect pitch. The book is filled with uncannily realistic descriptions of sounds and smells, and the noises and movements of animals are particularly evocative. Though the story's setting and events involving pickpockets and a dancing bear may be unfamiliar to young readers, Benno's dilemmas are not bound by time or place. Benno's conflicted feelings about his father and his frustrations in school are emotions that most children will find familiar, even if they have never experienced them in the context that Benno does. In fact, Benno's bond with his bear came across so strongly that I cried when he was separated from her! Despite the sadness of some elements of the story, this book provides enjoyable and thought-provoking reading, and I would highly recommend it.