A boy’s usual routine is shaken up by the sudden appearance of a bear in Out of the Blue, an award-winning Danish picture book from author Rebecca Bach-Lauritsenand illustrator Anna Margrethe Kjærgaardabout embracing surprise, adapting to change, and welcoming new friendships.
Translated from Danish byMichael Favala Goldman
In a house where everything is arranged just so, there lives a boy whose days are filled with peace, quiet, and solitude. Every morning, he wakes up and follows the exact same routine, without fail… until the day something new appears, out of the blue: a bear!
In this imaginative and empowering picture book, a meticulous child steps out of his comfort zone of control and opens himself up to unfamiliar and unexpected experiences.
Thanks to author Bach-Lauritsen’s poetic text, fluidly translated by Goldman from Danish to English, and the spare, highly communicative, and absorbing illustrations from Kirkus Prize for Young Readers finalist Kjærgaard, this is a sensitive, encouraging story about how embracing change can lead to trust and friendship!
Praise
Selected for the Children’s Book Council Spring 2024 Showcase on Transformation
One of Betsy Bird’s Top 15 Translated Children’s Picture Books of 2024! "A sweet, strange tale of finding unexpected friends. I always like it when a book works on its own internal logic and damned be the consequences. Here we have a boy living entirely on his own, as seen in such books as Bink & Gollie. He’s drawn in rather a standard, illustrated manner. The bear who comes to occupy the house with him reminded me a lot of how someone like Matthew Cordell will suddenly place a highly realistic wild animal into a picture book, surprising and delighting the reader. At its heart, this is a story about loneliness and finding a kindred spirit. Plus who doesn’t want their own bear to play airplane with? A subtle, sweet delight."
—A Fuse #8 Production (A School Library Journal blog), Betsy Bird
STARRED REVIEW! ? “Warm and lovely. The prose uses simple repetition, sound effects, and onomatopoeia to artfully set the boy’s lonely stage. The illustrations are as poetic—simultaneously sparse and detailed—as the thoughtful and limited text… The elegant and softly rendered style is a wonderful juxtaposition to the surprising brown swaths of luxurious bear fur. Translated from the original Danish, the storyteller and illustrator take their time luxuriating in this wholly original tale… Every page is a tiny treasure.”
—Booklist
"Reassuring to reflective readers facing life or family changes."
—Kirkus
"This Danish import is a gentle testament to friendship, the potential for growth and change, and the sheer exhilaration of letting go."
—The Horn Book
"Gorgeous and thoughtful... [With its] delicate sepia-toned pencil drawings [and a] brief, poetic text, ... children will be begging to spend a few more minutes lingering over each intricate page, catching the numerous cactus paintings and looking for eagle feathers, frisbees, and blue scribbles... Recommended for children who dream of an imaginary playmate and appreciate nontraditional formats and stories."
—Susan Harari, Keefe Library, Boston Latin School, Youth Services Book Review
