Rainy Days with Bear

Britta Santowski is a freelance writer in Victoria.

What do you do with rainy days, when it rains “every day for weeks”?
Why, stay inside and travel the world, of course! When the rain first
comes, Bear is not happy. So he suggests to Writer that they go on a
trip to Trinidad. Writer, however, is too busy writing a book and
meeting his deadline. As the days go by, Bear suggests Writer join him
in a trip to Spain. And then to the Swiss Alps. Then Switzerland. And
the Arctic. But always, Writer’s book and the deadline are more
pressing.

Bear visits these places in his imagination, and his antics keep him
happy until the real sun comes out—and disappears again. Sinking into
a depression, Bear falls sick and lands in bed. But again, his
imagination gets the better of him, and off he travels to Russia,
Venice, and France. Writer finishes the book and suggests a trip to beat
the rain. Bear suggests they go to Costa Rica’s rainforests. Bear now
knows that the rain has much to offer.

The book is illustrated with beautiful watercolour drawings that nicely
complement Bear’s very vivid imagination. These images show the sunny
adventures that can be had just by the willing. While this wonderful
book explores many lands and cultures, and seemingly celebrates
diversity, it is still somewhat amazing to me that the two women who
created it did not feature either a female bear or a female writer.
Teddy bears and writers are all too frequently written in the male
persona, and this book continues that tradition. Recommended with
reservations.