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Andrew Katz has been writing and teaching in Montreal for more than fifteen years. After graduating from medical school, he completed his master's in English and Creative writing and began teaching at Dawson College. His areas of specialization include Children’s Literature, and in 2013 he won the Dawson College Director General’s Award for Teaching Excellence. How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read is his first children’s book. Juliana Léveillé-Trudel’s first novel, Nirliit, was hailed by critics and by the public when it was published in 2015. It was translated into English by Vehicle Press in 2018 and will be adapted for the screen. Juliana Léveillé-Trudel is also a playwright and a founder of the Productions de brousse, a theater company. How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read is her first children’s book. Joseph Sherman is a Gemini award-winning children’s animation series director, with 30 years of experience in the design and production of animated series, motion graphics and print illustrations. This is his first picture book.
FROM KIRKUS REVIEW A young girl greatly wants to befriend a bear; she just needs to find one first. Julia, a tot with a messy brown ponytail and one slouchy sock, loves to play outside. A ruddy (white) complexion and a bandaged knee confirm her nature-loving ways. While outdoors, she plays with many animal friends: hide-and-seek with Abigail the groundhog, tree-climbing with Scotty the squirrel, and, appropriately, farting contests with Frieda the skunk. But what Julia longs to do is play with a bear. A book that she is reading mentions a bear's favorite snack: honey. She gets a large, sticky pot full of the treat and waits. But it attracts only Scotty. So then she tries a basket of blueberries. After returning from lunch, she finds large, blue paw prints and her book missing! This ursine-loving gal just may have found someone to have a bearnormous picnic with--and a reading buddy as well. A palette of greens and browns, with bright pops of yellow, freshens the somewhat pedestrian illustrations (although the bear's cozy treetop library is quite enviable, and his spectacles are a nice touch). A how-to manual in which a love of reading shines. (Picture book. 4-7) --Kirkus Review
