The Bear and the People (New York Review Children's Collection)

The New York Review Children's Collection began in 2003 in an attempt to reward readers who have long wished for the return of their favorite titles and to introduce those books to a new generation of readers. The line publishes picture books for preschoolers through to chapter books and novels for older children. Praised for their elegant design and sturdy bindings, these books set a new standard for the definition of a "classic."

Among the 40 titles included in this collection you will find Wee Gillis, a Caldecott Honor Book by the creators of The Story of Ferdinand; Esther Averill's time-honored Jenny and the Cat Club series; The House of Arden by E. Nesbit, one of J.K. Rowling's favorite writers; several titles by the award-winning team of Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, including their Book of Norse Myths and Book of Animals; James Thurber's The Thirteen Clocks and The Wonderful O, both with illustrations by Marc Simont. Not to be missed is the classic animal adventure story Bel Ria by Sheila Burnford, the author of The Incredible Journey; Lucretia Hale's hilarious The Peterkin Papers; James Cloyd Bowman's Newbery Honor Book, Pecos Bill; and holiday favorites by John Masefield, The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights.

The New York Review Children's Collection brings time-tested children's and young adult literature to your bookshelf in sturdy, well-crafted hardback editions designed to last for generations. The covers feature a unified series design by award-winning designer Louise Fili and all interior materials are carefully selected to reflect the period of original publication. Each book has a three-piece, paper-over-board cover, cloth spine, and coordinating head- and foot-bands. All text is printed on acid-free paper stock and many titles include original endpapers, line art, and full-color illustrations.

This collection includes one each of the following titles:

Jenny and the Cat Club by Esther Averill

The Little Bookroom by Eleanor Farjeon

The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily by Dino Buzzati

The Island of Horses by Eilis Dillon

The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay

Mistress Masham's Repose by T.H. White

The Wind on the Moon by Eric Linklater

Carbonel: The King of the Cats by Barbara Sleigh

An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden

D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

Jenny Goes to Sea by Esther Averill

Jenny's Birthday Book by Esther Averill

The Bear and the People by Reiner Zimnik

Jenny's Moonlight Adventure by Esther Averill

The School for Cats by Esther Averill

Captains of the City Streets by Esther Averill

The Hotel Cat by Esther Averill

Wee Gillis by Munro Leaf, Illustrations by Robert Lawson

The House of Arden by E. Nesbit

The Lost Island by Eilis Dillon

D'Aulaires' Book of Trolls by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

The Peterkin Papers by Lucretia P. Hale

Bel Ria by Sheila Burnford

Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer

Pecos Bill by James Cloyd Bowman, Illustrations by Laura Bannon

D'Aulaires' Book of Animals by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

Uncle by J. P. Martin, Illustrations by Quentin Blake

The Backward Day by Ruth Krauss, Illustrations by Marc Simont

The Two Cars by Ingri & Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

The Terrible Troll-Bird by Ingri d'Aulaire Edgar d'Aulaire

The Box of Delights by John Masefield

Foxie, The Singing Dog by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

Uncle Cleans Up by J. P. Martin

The 13 Clocks by James Thurber, Illustrations by Marc Simont

The Midnight Folk by John Masefield

Too Big by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

The Wonderful O by James Thurber, Illustrations by Marc Simont

The Mousewife by Rumer Godden, Illustrations by William Pene Du Bois

The Kingdom of Carbonel by Barbara Sleigh

Ounce Dice Trice by Alastair Reid, Illustrations by Ben Shahn

The New York Review Children's Collection began in 2003 in an attempt to reward readers who have long wished for the return of their favorite titles and to introduce those books to a new generation of readers. The line publishes picture books for preschoolers through to chapter books and novels for older children. Praised for their elegant design and sturdy bindings, these books set a new standard for the definition of a "classic."

Among the 40 titles included in this collection you will find Wee Gillis, a Caldecott Honor Book by the creators of The Story of Ferdinand; Esther Averill's time-honored Jenny and the Cat Club series; The House of Arden by E. Nesbit, one of J.K. Rowling's favorite writers; several titles by the award-winning team of Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, including their Book of Norse Myths and Book of Animals; James Thurber's The Thirteen Clocks and The Wonderful O, both with illustrations by Marc Simont. Not to be missed is the classic animal adventure story Bel Ria by Sheila Burnford, the author of The Incredible Journey; Lucretia Hale's hilarious The Peterkin Papers; James Cloyd Bowman's Newbery Honor Book, Pecos Bill; and holiday favorites by John Masefield, The Midnight Folk and The Box of Delights.

"Well, there was a man once, and he had a bear . . ." begins this story about a life long friendship between man and beast. The Bearman and the bear understand each other. Together they travel all over the country, "a part of the highway like the knotty old apple trees and whitehorn bushes," as they go from village to village, where they play music and juggle and dance and the children are always happy to see them. At night they sleep in the open, and before they do the Bearman tells a story and plays a beautiful melody on his horn for the bear and for God, a melody so beautiful that all the animals in the forest raise their heads and the leaves themselves stop rustling and listen.

And yet the Bearman and the bear have enemies: the jealous members of the Duda family, who are thieves and tricksters; and even more than that, the dogs. And when the Bearman dies, the bear must retreat into the wilderness for safety—until, after many adventures, he meets a new friend: a boy.

The Bear and the People is a lovely parable of friendship and courage and reverence for the natural world. It is a tale that is as exciting as it is touching and profound, and it will delight children and parents alike.