A Letter for Bear by David Lucas

"Bear was a postman. There were always lots of letters to deliver. 

But there were never any letters for Bear."

So what do we now know about Bear? Read the words and look closely at the illustrations. He is a hard worker. He delivers the letters no matter what the weather is like. And he is so lonely. On this day the weather is very cold and windy and all the precious letters fall into the snow.  Bear cannot read the address labels so he is forced to visit every home but this makes for the perfect turning point in this story because, in a wonderful scene, he finally meets all his customers.

It has been a day filled with conversations but, arriving home, alone again, Bear feels even more lonely. Luckily Bear is not a guy who wallows in his sorrow. He is a problem solver!

Dear Friends,

Please come to my Christmas party.

Yours sincerely the Postman.

This book has perfectly paced page turns. On the next page we see Bear decorating his cave. On the next page we see him waiting and waiting and waiting. Oh dear no one is coming.

Turn the page again. 

"But then he heard a sweet, and a squeak, and lots of shy little voices saying 'May be come in?"

Everyone enjoys a splendid party but the best surprise of all comes the next day when Bear heads off to work only to discover all of the letter are for him. Can you guess what they say?

Perhaps you are wondering about his arctic friends - they are all included on the back end paper - ptarmigan, robin, arctic fox, snow bunting, ermine, snowy owl, lemming, arctic red poll, arctic hare and waxwing. 

I spied this little book when I was shelving a huge collection of Christmas books in the library I visit each week. It caught my eye because it looked like a different Christmas story, the colours on the cover appealed to me and I like the way the letters of the title have been created with a geometric filler. Inside each page also has a geometric border using these same colours - pink, orange, pale aqua blue and white. 

The illustrations are a marvel to take in with their bold, limited color palette and all the intricate pattern details throughout. I would think that David Lucas has a grand time creating his illustrations. They must cheer just about any heart and I hope they delight yours. Three Books a Night

A wintry, holiday read much like a gingerbread house: ...  poignant, sweet, soul-warming and studded with delicious details that warrant close inspection. Kirkus Star review

This one caught my eye since this rather sweet little bear is on the front cover carrying a large satchel and wearing a smart red peaked cap! I love that Bear is a postman. It seems the right kind of job for him to be doing. But I wasn't entirely prepared for the sad turn the story would take! The Book Bag

Since this book was published in 2013 it is now sadly out of print but I there seem to be plenty of used copies available and as I always say, you might be lucky and find this in a local or school library. Take a look here to see other books by UK author/illustrator David Lucas. See inside this book here.

Here is the perfect companion book:

The Lonely Mailman

I am very keen to read more books by David Lucas:

Billy Miller makes a Wish by Kevin Henkes

"When Sal had told him that Mr Tooley had died, Billy thought that it was his fault because of the wish he'd made. The world - including himself - had seemed to shift and unravel, to dissolve into a million pieces. And, now, just like that, everything had come back into place, into focus. Billy felt steady again. Solid. He felt like a normal eight-year-old boy."

I am getting ahead of myself with this quote but I just wanted to share these sentences which hopefully allow you to read and hear the delightful way Kevin Henkes expresses his ideas.

Here are the opening sentences of Billy Miller makes a Wish: "When Billy Miller blew out the eight candles on his birthday cake, he made a wish. He wished something exciting would happen."

Something does happen but perhaps this is not the kind of excitement Billy anticipated. An ambulance and police car arrive in Billy's street. His elderly neighbour Mr Tooley has sadly died. Billy is wracked with guilt. Did his innocent wish cause this terrible event? 

It is the summer holidays and when school returns Billy will move from the comfort and security of second grade up to grade three which Billy is sure will be filled with huge kids and frightening teachers. For now, though, Billy and his sister are at home with their mother and father enjoying every day activities. Billy is kind to his little sister Sal but she can be a handful. One of the best presents Billy is given for his birthday is a huge set of fifty deluxe markers. Sal is desperate to use them but Billy knows she won't be careful and all of his fears are realised when Sal uses the markers to copy the butterfly tattoos she has seen the legs of their mail carrier. This is a small thing perhaps but at the same time it is a very realistic family disaster. This story is filled with tiny incidents like this - tiny family dramas, all seen though the sweetly innocent voice of Billy. 

One aspect of the writing in this book that really appealed to me is the way Kevin Henkes references our senses:

"He got a T-shirt with a bat printed on it ... the shirt smelled new. Billy repeatedly pulled the shirt up, buried his face in it, and inhaled deeply."

"Billy smelled his soccer ball the way he'd smelled his shirt. It, too, smell new. And it looked new - the white parts were so white. And it felt new - smooth and shiny and polished."

"When he finally breathed normally, he realised that Mr Tooley's house smelled like the old fashioned hardware store with creaky floors that Papa liked to shop at. It was a good smell."

"The basement was the coolest place in the house. Billy could feel the temperature change as he walked down the stairs. He went up and down a few times just to feel the sensation. It was like magic."

"The warm night air felt like a blanket of softness. All around the trees were dark, like a border hemming the sky. It seemed to Billy that the day had been a long one - it felt like a year. And it seemed as if Papa had been gone forever."

The other delight that comes from reading this book is the way Mama reacts to every 'disaster'. Her good sense and patience just made me sigh with happiness. After the butterfly marker pen incident Mama says:

"Well, ... we'll do a little scrubbing. Maybe a lot. Don't worry." 'Will it hurt?' asked Sal. 'No,' said Mama. 'Will there be a happy ending?' asked Sal. Mama smiled. 'Yes."

"He felt the weight of Mama's hands on his shoulders and he somehow knew that everything would be okay."

I also enjoyed the tiny moments of tension in the story - anticipating Sal getting her hands on Mama's old letters for example. Sal is very keen to deliver mail in their street and Mama is a little distracted.

The events of this book take place over just a few days when Papa is away at his art camp. I like to think that Papa is really Kevin Henkes himself!  

Henkes’s phenomenal ability to tap directly into the hopes, fears, and annoyances of an eight-year-old boy with beautiful clarity make this not only relatable for young readers, but for adults as well ... the laugh-out-loud antics of his little sister Sal make this a darling addition to early middle grade collections for most libraries. School Library Journal

Full of heart and depth. Kirkus Star review

I feel as though I have had this book on my to read list for years and years so when I embarked on a long (12 hour) train journey last week this was the first book I opened on my iPad. I loved every reading moment. 

The way Billy Miller makes a Wish focuses on small everyday events made me think of this quote from Max by Bob Graham. 

"Let's call him a small hero doing quiet deeds. The world needs more of those."

Billy Miller makes a Wish can stand alone but I highly recommend you look for the first instalment.

The Year of Billy Miller

The train to impossible places : A cursed delivery by P.G. Bell

"For the first time, she realised how impulsive and unplanned this all was, and began to feel scared. She was clinging to the outside of a train - a magic train, if such a thing were possible - hurtling through a tunnel that shouldn't exist, on its way to who knew where? Her parents couldn't help her. She was alone, and already in danger."

Here are two covers for the same book. The top one is from UK and the bottom from US. As usual I ask the obvious question -  which one appeals to you?  I was given an advanced reader copy of The Train to Impossible Places - A Cursed Delivery so I am also seeing these covers for the first time. The cover from my copy appears at the end of this post.

I have just lifted my head from reading this truly inventive rollicking adventure - the first in a new series. I don't often make this comment but this book would make a brilliant movie. The writing is so cinematic.

"Two long silver strips winked up at her from the carpet. They lay side by side, a metre or so apart, and seemed to come into the house from underneath the front door. ... They were train tracks."

"A mighty old steam locomotive towered over her, hissing and shuddering, and belching yellowish stream from its chimney. It was bigger than any locomotive Suzy had seen before - at least, bits of it were. To her eyes it looked like a large train had smashed into several smaller ones ... none of the drive wheels quite matched, and the cylindrical belly of its boiler was too fat at the front and too narrow at the back."

Suzy has a huge surprise one evening when a train smashes in to her house and yes it is running on train tracks which are running through the lounge room and right into the kitchen. Her mum and dad seem to be asleep on the couch. Suzy is a student of physics and so her mind races with all the impossible elements of this scene but there is no time for questions. The train is already late and it is leaving. Curiosity over-rides her fear and Suzy jumps aboard. This is a mail train delivering letters and parcels all over the Union.

On board the train Suzy meets the trolls Fletch - engineer,  JF Stonker - driver, Wilmot - postmaster and Ursel - a huge bear who is also the stoker. The engine runs on fusion bananas. Crazy!

The postmaster has an important delivery to make. A parcel for Lady Crepuscula. And yes she seems to be as evil and creepy as her name suggests. She lives in the Obsidian Tower which is guarded by hundreds of life-like statues reminiscent of the statues surrounding the home of the White Witch in Narnia. Suzy takes the oath:

"Do you solemnly swear to uphold the ideals of the Impossible Postal Express, risking life, limb and sanity in the execution of your duty?"

It all sounds daunting but Suzy agrees to take on the role of postal assistant. Her first delivery should be straightforward but Suzy forgets she needs a signature on her delivery form. Crepuscula opens her parcel and it contains a snow globe with a small frog inside. When Crepuscula walks away to get a pen the frog calls out to Suzy and tells her his tale of imprisonment, royal connections and the impending danger facing the Union. Suzy grabs the snow globe and flees the tower and so the chase is on.

There are some really funny moments in this story (trolls live under bridges) and terrific inventive ideas but the part that appealed to me the most was the underlying political context and the commentary on our own modern society. The ether web has taken over giving instant communication. "It's changed everything." The Impossible Postal service used to deliver ten million messages each day and used almost two hundred trains. Now "we're lucky to get a thousand messages a day."  And there is only one train riding the rails and just one Postmaster - Wilmot.

If you pick up this book and need to be sure it is right for you I suggest you read Chapter 18 The Vault of Secrets.  There is a delightful scene in this chapter where Suzy is initiated as a true postie using the very first troll stamp ever printed.

For teachers there are fabulous descriptions in this book.

Crepuscula : "was a little old lady ... she leaned on a cane for support. She wore a dress of heavy black lace that fell all the way to her feet, with a knitted black shawl pulled tight around her shoulders. Suzy caught the discreet glint of a pearl necklace beneath it. Her hair was silver, and her skin so pale it almost glowed, like the desert sands far below. She studied Suzy with piercing lilac eyes."

The Lunar Guard at the Ivory Tower : "They were all young women, wearing matching silver jumpsuits beneath plate armour and heavy utility belts. They all wore their hair in a pageboy cut, each dyed a different colour - she saw acid green, fire-engine red and neon blue ... Each of them carried a chunky silver plasma rifle, and Suzy got the distinct impression they knew how to use them."

Readers do need to be prepared to put in some time with this story. It is 340 pages and moves along at the same pace as the train gaining momentum as the story reaches the final adrenaline filled scenes. The UK edition of this book is hardcover with a special image under the dust jacket. You can read a text extract here.  You can read an interview with the author. Your next book could be The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel.  If you enjoy books with invented worlds, wild rides on crazy forms of transport and truly heroic characters you should also read Nevermoor - The trials of Morrigan Crow.

All aboard for an adventure like no other—readers will be delighted to learn it’s just the first.  Kirkus

It's a beautiful engineered story full of whimsical characters and industrious landscapes that would not be out of place on the set of a magical film. Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books

A letter for Leo by Sergio Ruzzier

Step One
Read The Lion and the Bird
Step Two 
Read A Letter for Leo

Here is a perfect pair of books.

I do enjoy books about friendship and the postal service also holds a fascination for me. The Jolly Postman is one of my most treasured books. When I was in London recently I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Postal Museum - a terrific place to take young children with heaps of hands on activities.

Leo is the mailman, he does a good job, he works hard, he has friends among his customers but sadly "he has never received a letter himself."

Then one day he finds a baby bird inside the official red postbox. He names the little bird Cheep. When spring comes Cheep needs to fly away but surely this cannot be the end of such a special friendship.

Read more plot details here.

Other books about posting/writing letters (and friendship) are:

Little Big Feet by Dieter and Ingrid Schubert
Letters from Felix by Annette Langen
Toot and Puddle Wish you were here by Holly Hobbie
Herman's letter by Tom Percival
The giant hug by Sandra Horning
Dear Fairy Godmother by Michael Rosen
Please write back by Jennifer E Morris
Stories from Squeak Street by Emily Rodda (Listen to an audio sample)

I was not familiar with Sergio Ruzzier but looking at his website there are many books here I would love to explore.

This is a lovely story about connection and all that it implies, told with concision, reticence, and just the right balance of bitter and sweet. Publishers Weekly

The Giant Hug by Sandra Horning illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev

The perfect picture book should bring you joy - I think The Giant Hug is a perfect picture book.  This is good timing too with Valentine's Day this week - you might make Valentine's Day a celebration of love.

Owen wants to send his Granny a hug for her birthday but she lives far away so Owen goes to the post office with his mother.

"I want to mail a hug to my granny.  Will you please send it?' Owen asked in his most polite voice. 'Well we don't normally send hugs, but I suppose we could give it a try,' Mr. Nevin said.  Owen's mother wrote down Granny's address for Mr. Nevin.  Owen walked behind the counter, opened his arms as wide as he possibly could, and gave Mr Nevin a giant hug. 'Please make the hug just as giant when you pass it on to the mailman,' Owen said."

So begins the journey of this special hug.  Mr. Nevin hugs Ms. Porter.  She then hugs Leroy.  Leroy travels into the city.  The next person in the chain is a porcupine called James who is not really the hugging type. He then hugs the aeroplane Captain.  Amanda, who drives the mail truck is next and the hug really brightens her day.  Amanda hugs Chad who immediately asks to a dance. Chad reaches Mrs Greenberg who passes the hug on to Shelly - the final link in this long chain of hugs. Granny is delighted to receive the hug from Shelly but she has a special message that needs to be returned to Owen!  The picture on the last page will make you smile and smile.

This book will be part of our library collection later in the year.  It is one of the special titles we will include in our annual donate a library book event.  I discovered this book at the New York public library last year when I spent a glorious few hours in the children's library reading and reading picture books.

Here is the author web site. Here are some teaching ideas, songs and other books on the topic of The Post Office.