A Bear's Life
Black bears, grizzly bears, and spirit bears all make their home in the Great Bear Rainforest.
A Bear's Life uses Ian McAllister's stunning photographs to follow these beautiful animals through a year in the British Columbia wilderness--catching fish, eating berries, climbing trees and taking long naps.
A Bear's Life is the second in the My Great Bear Rainforest series.
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Nicholas Read is a retired journalist and journalism instructor who has written 12 books for children including two series about the Great Bear Rainforest with Ian McAllister. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Ian McAllister is an award-winning photographer and author of numerous books. Ian directed the 2019 IMAX film Great Bear Rainforest and co-wrote the film's tie-in book, Great Bear Rainforest: A Giant Screen Adventure in the Land of the Spirit Bear. A recipient of the North American Nature Photography Association's Vision Award and the Rainforest Action Network's Rainforest Hero Award, he and his wife, Karen, were named by Time magazine "Leaders of the 21st Century" for their efforts to protect British Columbia's endangered rainforest. The co-founder of Pacific Wild, a Canadian nonprofit wildlife-conservation group, Ian lives with his family in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest.
"The incredible close-up photos lead the reader from spring to fall in the rainforest as the easy-to-read text introduces each unique and special aspect of the bears' home...Impressive presentation. The writing style is especially inviting to younger readers...Hopefully this author-photographer duo still have more to offer all ages about British Columbia's endangered rainforest as a way to encourage conservation efforts. Highly Recommended."-- "CM Magazine"
"The heart of this album is [McAllister's] photography: two beautiful landscapes showing the pristine Great Bear Rainforest bookend many, many close-ups of bears…An appropriate companion to Wolf Island to nourish the sense of wonder."-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Read emphasizes how much time it takes for cubs to learn survival skills from their mom and the importance of a balanced ecosystem…McAllister's close-up images of the creatures and the forest radiate with energy and atmosphere, in part because of the clean layout, which lets them shine…A title sure to be enjoyed over and over again. An easy pick for nonfiction animal collections."-- "School Library Journal"
"Extensively photo illustrated by McAllister, images range from stunning landscape portraits to impressive action shots to playful photos of a cub lounging in the grass…this stuns."-- "Booklist"
"This well-designed companion to Wolf Island features McAllister's exquisite photographs of black bears, grizzlies, and rare spirit bears…It's a captivating and intimately photographed look at the lives of wild bears."-- "Publishers Weekly"
"Visually spectacular, Wolf Island and A Bear's Life work best as a pair, showing how different types of animals navigate the vast and ancient rainforest in both different and similar ways. Read together, these books—and undoubtedly any others that will be added to the series in the future—provide opportunities for readers to compare and contrast the habits, homes and personalities of some of their favourite animals in a highly engaging and informative way. Full of universal themes the books in the My Great Bear Rainforest series will delight readers of all interests and abilities. "-- "Canadian Children's Book News"
"A Bear's Life is highly recommended for school and public libraries for study units and for story times. This book would enhance study units on bears, ecological systems, rainforests, indigenous mythology, the Raven, and photography. Both books in My Great Bear Rainforest Series further understanding of the beauty and importance of the Great Bear Rainforest and by extension all forests and their inhabitants."-- "Resource Links"
"This is a beautiful, fact-filled book that should enchant the reader."-- "Youth Services Book Review"
"We have talked about the Great Bear Rainforest in other posts, all by this talented and impressive pair whose glorious nature photography and impeccable research have given us other books to admire and inspire. Following Wolf Island, this second picture book is perfect for younger readers."-- "Sal's Fiction Addiction blog"
