The Bear and the Wildcat

When the little bird dies, the bear is inconsolable. Full of grief, he locks himself in his house and ventures out again only when the smell of young spring grass blows through his window. He meets a wildcat and finally feels understood. As the cat plays her violin, the bear remembers all the fun he had with the little bird. Now he can say goodbye to his friend, because he knows he’ll always have his memories. The Bear and the Wildcat is a touching picture book about loneliness, grief and loss, ending with a positive new beginning. It shows a way through paralyzing grief and simultaneously tells the story of a budding friendship.

Author Biography

Kazumi Yumoto was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1959. She studied music composition at Tokyo College and during this time wrote opera libretti and plays for radio and television. Her books, mostly novels for older children, have won numerous international awards. After graduating from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, Komako Sakai worked at a kimono textile design company. She is currently one of the most popular children’s author/illustrators in Japan, and has been successfully published in the US by Chronicle Books and Arthur A. Levine books.