Tag Archives: Mawson

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author.

“It’s A Bright World To Feel Lost In” by Mawson is picture book told from the perspective of teddy bears. Mawson, a poetic and thoughtful cream coloured bear, ruminates on what it means to be with someone, away from someone and by yourself.

This is a lovely little book. The language is quite child appropriate with subtleties behind the mostly simple text, though there are a few good vocabulary-building words sprinkled throughout as well. I think that stories about teddy bears are pretty universal. Given that most children like to imagine the adventures their teddies get up to without them, this book with its cheerful photography really taps into that nostalgia. The photos are very expressive, and two of my favourites are of Mawson’s friends: one light brown bear staring off into the distance below the text “you can almost hear the aching sound of being searched for” and another shorter-furred bear writing a “wurry list” considering “Did I hug enuf?”

There are some great lessons about unconditional love in this story and rescuing yourself from loneliness by filling your time with hobbies and observation. This is definitely a book that lends itself to flipping through several times. The book is marketed towards grownups 109 and under, but I think if you have a small child who asks to be read the same book over and over, this book has plenty in it that won’t be discovered on the first read through.