Don't Worry Bear
Written and illustrated by Greg Foley
Viking Juvenile; $15.99
32 pp.; ISBN-13: 978-0670062454

Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews

In this sweet and affecting picture book, the youngest of readers will find comfort during times of separation from friends or family. Young Bear becomes fast friends with busy Caterpillar, hard at work on his cocoon. Caterpillar lets his new friend know that he's cocoon-bound for a while, but not to be concerned, he'll be back again. Despite Caterpillar's confident assurances, Bear is worried. Where is Caterpillar, exactly? And what's he doing in that cocoon?

No matter the dark night or windy day, rain or cold, Bear faithfully checks on Caterpillar in his cocoon. Not until Bear's friend Mouse reassures him that Caterpillar is probably asleep does Bear's anxiety begin to subside. That is, until poor Bear stumbles upon the fallen, empty cocoon one day. His concern for Caterpillar starts up again, until a surprise visit from a gentle moth that reunites the friends settles Bear's fear once and for all.

Greg Foley's Don't Worry Bear is a perfect, relatable choice for young children who're especially attached to their friends or loved ones and have trouble saying "see you later," particularly in cases when friends or family are far away. Bear's worry and anxiety about his dear friend Caterpillar are palpable, both in word and illustration, as is his relief at the promise-fulfilled happy ending. Don't Worry Bear's acknowledgement of separation anxiety is validating and reassuring.

Foley, the designer and creative director of Visionaire, V Magazine, and VMan, has a simple and uncluttered illustrative style that effectively distills the story to its most basic elements. For example, as Bear plaintively peers at the cocoon on the ground-- there's no other detail on the page save for the tree sheltering Bear, and there doesn't need to be: in that moment, this is Bear's whole world.

A follow up to last year's Thank You Bear, this book is meant for sharing. Foley's prose lends itself for reading aloud, and the text is simple enough for children to share with each other (my six-year-old was quite pleased to be able to read it to her younger sister). Don't Worry Bear offers young readers genuine reassurance in times of change that even if things aren't how they were, things can still be just fine.