The Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-El, illustrated by Kelly Pousette

This is the first time I've read a chapter book by Dan Bar-El; I mostly think of him as a Canadian picture book author and he's done some quite cute things. This was sold to me as "quirky" which honestly made me doubtful at first, but I thought it might be a good fit for a small group of kids I have who are hard to fit as readers. Mostly homeschooled, they are generally fluent readers for their age group but are just generally younger in their interests - they like cozy stories, no monsters or scary stuff, but they want to read more challenging chapter books. Luckily, this turned out to be just the gentle, charming story they will enjoy.

Duane the polar bear travels to the Very, Very Far North in summer. There he finds a home and new friends, whom he names, including C. C. the owl, Handsome the musk ox, Magic the arctic fox, and eventually Major Puff the puffin and Twitch the hare. His experiences are episodic, each chapter representing a new story or quiet adventure.

C. C. the owl is Duane's first friend. She lives on a shipwreck and spends her time reading, conducting experiments, and thinking. However, she's always ready with suggestions and advice for Duane and he listens to her, both for her knowledge and to learn how to be a good friend. For example, Duane likes to give bear hugs, but C. C. doesn't like to be touched so Duane respects that.

As Duane interacts with his other friends, he learns things about them - and about himself. He learns to say no to Magic's enthusiasm when it's uncomfortable and dangerous, to pay attention to his friend Handsome's feelings and not just what he says. Duane also meets other friends that he sees more rarely, like Sun Girl and the Pack and, at the end of the book, the shy Boo.

Sweet black and white illustrations are sprinkled throughout the book, showing interesting characters who populate Duane's world, as well as a little of the amazing Arctic wonderland he lives in.

This isn't a fast-paced adventure tale or fantasy; it's exactly what the author calls it in the subtitle, "a story for gentle readers and listeners." It's got a nice episodic flow, making it a lovely bedtime story for calming down, gentle humor to entice readers, and a fun plethora of interesting words and ideas to draw in younger readers and listeners with a large vocabulary.

Verdict: This won't appeal to all kids, but to that certain group who like comforting stories without a lot of drama, action, or angst, it will be a favorite to return to again and again. Recommended for readers who like old-fashioned and gentle stories with a contemporary feeling like Kallie George's Heartwood Hotel or Anna Humphrey's Megabat.

ISBN: 9781534433410; Published September 2019 by Atheneum; Galley provided by publisher