Gianluca Foli sure draws a great bear

WHILE we’re a ‘trade’ publisher, the majority of our books are actually sold to schools.

With this in mind, we try to publish children’s picture books that not only entertain but can also be used in the classroom, and we prepare extensive teachers’ notes to help educators make best use of them in a school setting.

It’s pleasing when education experts acknowledge this. Davide Cali and Gianluca Foli’s marvellous fable, The Bear with the Sword, is listed as a recommended resource for Years 1 to 3 in Western Australian primary schools in Primary Focus 2011, a guide compiled by the Department of Education’s Curriculum Materials Information Services division.

Here’s what the guide says about the book:

A bear is very proud of his sword and to prove how powerful it is, he begins hacking down everything in reach, including a whole forest. When his fortress is washed away he sets out to find the perpetrator in order to cut him in two. In the end the bear finds that the chain of disasters leads back to him. In mournful realisation, the bear sets about repairing the damage and right the wrong he has created. This is a beautifully presented tale that allows young readers to easily grasp the concept of thinking before acting and taking responsibility for one’s actions. The bear’s remorse and the actions he takes to make appropriate amends will provide all young readers with food for thought. The lively illustrations extend the text and reveal further details on closer examination.

Useful for: consequences, bears, environmental degradation, responsibility, violence and nonviolence, parable