He was the second of three brothers. "He was not big, but he was not
small, either. Neither strong nor weak, neither tall nor short, neither
a lot nor a little ... He was the middle one." Everything about life
with his brothers was middle-sized. And when you're always in the
middle, sometimes it's hard to feel special. But then, one day the cubs'
parents fell ill, and their mother asked them to fetch some medicinal
bark from a willow tree on the top of a mountain. When it turned out
that this very important task could only be done by a cub of his middle
size, he finally realized how special it was to be the middle one.
Author Susanna Isern's lovely, melodic picture book tale --- with a
delightful use of repetition throughout --- offers an upbeat and
positive message to middle children everywhere. It's a subject that is
not often addressed in this format. With its hero's quest theme, the
story has the feel of a modern-day fairy tale. Manon Gauthier's spare
artwork and understated palette perfectly capture the poignancy of the
bear cub's emotional journey. Though the book focuses on the role of
middle children, it really celebrates every child's efforts toward
self-discovery, as they seek out their own special place in the world.
It also offers a wonderful opportunity to highlight the character
education subject of perseverance or a lesson on empathy.
