Little Polar Bear Finds a Friend

by Hans de Beer

Summary

Lars the polar bear was lonely, and he wished he had a friend to play with. While looking for a friend to play with, he walked into a trap and was shipped into a large warehouse in an airplane. He didn't know what was going on, and ended up getting out of the box while in the storage room. Suddenly, Lars came across a huge walrus who told him they were being taken to a zoo. Neither the walrus or Lars knew what a zoo was, but they decided to start opening all of the other boxed crates, and soon enough all of the animals were free, including a small brown bear named Bea. The walrus helped the animals to find a way to escape, and although the walrus was almost left behind, Bea and Lars went back to make sure he made it out safely. The next morning Lars found Bea crying because her parents were captured too, and he told her she was welcome to go back with him. Bea asks, "But won't your parents be upset because I'm brown?" and Lars answers, "Of course not. Bears are bears!" They find a stream and Lars and Bea rode on the walrus' back, passing a storm and a city, and they finally made it back to the Arctic. Lars' parents were worried about him, but after his return they accepted Bea with open arms, also stating, "Bears are bears!"

Discussion

I understand why this book was a bestseller and has been translated into eight different languages. The illustrations are gorgeous, and they tell the story themselves. Though the story is beautiful, and beautifully written, the message behind the story is even more profound. Using bears, Hans de Beer was able to write a book negating racism and proclaiming equality at a time when the world was in upheaval. This story was published in 1945, before the Affirmative Action movement in the United States, and long before segregation was deemed unconstitutional. Hans de Beer wrote from the Netherlands, but because his books are so colorful and fitting for children all over the world, it has become an international bestseller. He has also written other "Polar Bear" books, this being the third in his series.

Beer, H. d. (1945). Little Polar Bear Finds a Friend. New York City: Northsouth.