A Song of the Seasons

“A hundred years have passed. A thousand years have passed. Yet the forest is still here.” Thus begins a sweet, lyrical story of a mother bear waking up as the forest wakes up in the spring. Mother bear has two cubs, and she leads them out into a spring day. Other creatures are coming out, and plants are growing and blooming. The summer heat begins, and things change as the bears travel through the forest and time. Rains fall and leaves turn. Autumn arrives and the cubs are getting very big. Harvest time and the forest creatures prepare for winter. Mother bear says goodbye to her cubs, and they go off to start their own lives as winter begins.

Author and illustrator Yibing Deng has created an enchanting place of peace and beauty to frame the story of the bears and other woodland creatures as they travel through the forest and the year. The language is simple and lovely. The illustrations are all in soft colors and are stunningly beautiful. This is a quiet book that will be perfect to settle little ones down at bedtime. Don’t miss this one.