Lena and the Bear
A heartwarming tale of friendship, freedom and learning to love the wild
Age 4+
Picture Books
An enchanting tale of unlikely friendship, freedom and learning when to let go – the perfect gift book to treasure for any age.
When Lena finds an injured bear alone in the forest, she takes him home and cares for him. As he recovers, she tells him stories about a wild world and hopes he will want to stay and listen forever. But as the bear grows stronger and longs to return to his own wildness, Lena learns that love sometimes means being brave, and love sometimes means letting go.
From Carnegie Medal winner Katya Balen and acclaimed artist Laura Carlin, this deeply moving modern fable celebrates nature, stories, and the wildness within us all – a gorgeous wintry gift book, perfect for fans of Charlie Mackesy, Robert Macfarlane and Nicola Davies.
Creators
Katya Balen is the Carnegie Medal-winning author of books for children. Her debut novel, The Space We’re In, was highly commended for the Branford Boase Award; October, October won the Yoto Carnegie Medal and the UKLA Book Award; and The Light in Everything was shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal. Her stories are celebrated for their lyrical writing and their exploration of nature, belonging and human connection. When she’s not writing books, Katya likes to scroll through dog-rescue websites, bake and attempt to keep her house plants alive.
Laura Carlin is an award-winning illustrator and graduate of the Royal College of Art. Winner of several awards, including the V&A Book Illustration Award, he is celebrated for her richly atmospheric artwork and has illustrated many acclaimed books for children, including The Iron Man by Ted Hughes and The Woman Who Turned Children into Birds by David Almond, both of which were awarded an honourable mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Award fiction category. Her work has also featured in Vogue, the Guardian and The New York Times. See Laura's work at www.lauracarlin.com.
