If this is not reason enough to read the book then I don’t know what is! David Soman’s attention to detail in his illustrations, along with his well placed text, makes this one of the more beautiful picture books that I have ever read. The illustrations for this book are nothing short of amazing. The mother forgave them and the book had a very satisfying ending. However, they stumbled upon another beautiful blue shell as they were walking to their house, which they gave to their mother as they apologized for what had happened. As they made up, the foreboding storm cleared and they arrived back home empty handed. Suddenly a threatening storm comes their way, and the three bears realize that they all had a part in what happened, so simply blaming each other does not help anything. Ultimately, in a fit of frustration, the three bears begin to argue and blame what happened on each other. They encounter various different bears along the way, some who are helpful and others who are not so helpful. The story follows Dash, Charlie, and Theo on their sailing journey to replace their mother’s shell. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of three little bears – Dash, Charlie, and Theo – who accidentally shattered their mother’s exquisite blue sea shell when they were sneaking honey one day. I had recently read Betsy Bird’s 2015 Caldecott Award predictions on her blog, “A Fuse #8 Production,” and Three Bears in a Boat was included among the list so I knew it was a must read! This week on Trendy Tuesday I will be reviewing Three Bears in a Boat, written and illustrated by the very talented David Soman.

Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman