The Boy and the Bear

Friends come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes the best friends are the most unlikely of all

When a lonely little boy receives an invitation to play written on a paper boat, it seems that he has found the best friend he's been longing for - at last! But Bear isn't quite the playmate the boy had imagined. If only he knew how to play games properly!

But when Bear starts to build a treehouse, the boy is intrigued and a magical summer begins. As autumn passes and the first winter snowflakes start to fall, the boy is left alone, and only then does he truly realise what he has lost . . . Until at last spring comes again and the friends are joyfully reunited with a very special hug!

About the Author

Tracey was born and grew up in industrial South Wales and now lives in a hidden valley in Gloucestershire with her husband, two children and an ever-increasing menagerie of devilishly-cute-but-sometimes-rather-naughty pets.

A trained teacher, Tracey has always had a passion for wonderful literature and began writing for children in 2006. Her head is happily crammed with countless ideas and stories and she's loving the adventures that her characters insist they share . . .

About the Illustrator

Sarah's mum always said it was a blessing how paper and a pencil could keep her quiet and out of mischief for hours. Drawing has been a life-long habit that has seen her through careers in corporate design, children's book design and now as a successful illustrator . . . and illustrating is what she loves doing best.

Sarah lives in Sussex with her husband, Peter, her young son, Mathew, and her utterly mad terrier, Tess, who keeps guard as she draws.