Cub and Brown

Edwina Wyatt

Evie Barrow

Walker Books, 2023

160pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781760654641

Cub is eight years old and he likes nothing better than being in the woods and using all the knowledge and skills he has learned through being a cub in the local Scout pack.  On one of his walks be meets a bear -something he has never anticipated doing before so he isn’t prepared as he likes to be- and so begins a series of adventures as the two navigate each other’s world and the sometimes tricky twists of being friends. 

Brown is an expert in living outdoors and Cub would like to be and his openness to learning allows the two to confront problems and find solutions aligned to the tenets of the scouting movement such as checking the weather or making a plan, together.

This is an engaging read of short, stand -alone-but-connected stories, for newly independent readers, particularly those who are Joeys or Cubs themselves. The strength of the trust and friendship between Cub and Brown is heart-warming while the subtle messages in each story can only help readers be prepared themselves.