by Moe Zilla

Created on: April 05, 2010

Jan Brett had already collaborated with Eve Bunting on "St. Patrick's Day in the Morning." (This book's jacket describes it as "another holiday picture book" by the two famous children's book authors.) Brett was just starting her career - she was only 34 when she illustrated "The Valentine Bears".  But 55-year-old Bunting was already an experienced children's book author, and she brings her special mix of detail and believable characters to a fun fantasy tale about a loving bear couple that wants to celebrate Valentine's Day.

"Mrs. Bear set her alarm for February 14," Bunting explains, describing the bear's den as "snug and secure for the winter." The story opens on October 14, with Mrs. Bear deciding to get up this year before spring. She's never celebrated the holiday before with her bear-husband, in all their years together. She tacks a sign to the wall of their cave that says "It's nice to share valentine's day with someone you love."

It's a very sweet, yet simple story - and it's complemented by Brett's simple drawings. She uses red (and yellow) tinted black-and-white sketches, matching the book's valentine theme. Brett's later books included a recognizable visual trademark - elaborate borders around every picture, sometimes with smaller extra illustrations. But this book only gets one of her trademark "frames," around the last picture. It's framed with a heart, made out of a sweet pattern of red-and-white needlepoint.

Mrs. Bear digs up a pot of honey that she'd buried in the fall to save as a valentine's gift. "It was fruity and rich and smelled of summer - just the way Mr. Bear liked it." I like how Bunting's descriptions suggest the details of the bear's experience, but also hint at Mrs. Bear's motivation. As "the arms of the trees scratched at the sky," Mrs. Bear works her way to an icy pond, and breaks her way through the ice to the cold water below. Then she splashes water on her ears and her muzzle, and sleeks her fur before she wakes up Mr. Bear.

"Just another five more weeks," Mr. Bear begs...

Brett's drawings really capture the warm affection of the two bears, with Mrs. Bear raising her paws up tenderly in a soft and gentle embrace. But she's unable to wake Mr. Bear, and returns to the woods, where Bunting describes the other forest animals, and their surprise at seeing a bear awake before springtime. It's a very special day, so Mrs. Bear returns to their cave with a can filled with ice water.

"I'm sorry about this, Mr. Bear," she says...

But it turns out he'd already remembered that it was Valentine's Day too.

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