Dramatic pen and ink and watercolor illustrations bring to life a lively Native American pourquoi (how and why) tale from the East Coast. On a walk one autumn day, Bear begins to brag that he is the biggest, strongest, and loudest of all the animals. "I am Bear, I am Bear. I can do anything. Yes, I can!" "Can you tell the sun not to rise tomorrow morning?" Brown Squirrel asks, and Bear takes the challenge. All night long, Bear chants, "The sun will not come up, hummph!" Each time, Brown Squirrel counters with, "The sun is going to rise, oooh!" Of course, much to Brown Squirrel's delight, the sun rises in the morning. Foolishly, the squirrel teases Bear, and though he is able to trick Bear out of eating him, sharp-clawed Bear scratches him from the top of his head to the tip of his tail, creating the first chipmunk.
THEMES: ANIMALS. BEARS. FOLKLORE. MULTICULTURAL BOOKS.
- While the story begs to be told, Aruego and Dewey's vibrantly hued trademark watercolors add significantly to the humor. A priority purchase for most collections.
- School Library Journal