Don’t Let Go!

When a polar bear family visits the icy beach, the father bear tries everything to play with the young cub in the water. Don’t Let Go! is a sweet tale about a polar bear cub who is afraid of the water and just won’t let go of the safety of his father’s arms. Throughout the pages, readers see the little bear accepting all offers from his siblings to get into the water with the help of an inflatable donut, a flutter board, a pool noodle and a beach ball, but only if Dad keeps holding him! Once the little polar bear is floating on his own, Dad decides to slip away and proudly watch him floating on his own. Of course, once the little bear realizes Dad has let go, he now wants Mom!

Readers see fun scenes surrounding the family in the water, of the mother polar bear on her cell phone, reading magazines and taking pictures of her kids. Other beachgoers are diving off the icebergs, playing games of catch and fishing for a snack.

Don’t Let Go! is an easy-to-read story that takes the (older) reader back to days at the beach with family and friends. There is chaos and fun going on at the same time, and the colorful illustrations perfectly portray it all. This is a great book for creating dialogue with younger children about learning to be independent.

In addition to her fine art, Élisabeth Eudes-Pascal enjoys illustrating picture books and novels for young readers and adults. Her illustrations capture her sense of playfulness and spontaneity, and her illustrations in Bill Chocottes’ le héros qui avait peur were nominated for the 2011 Governor General’s Literary Award for French-language children's illustration.