Cub and Brown
Age 6+
General Fiction
A beautiful and heartwarming tale of friendship and adventure.
Cub loves exploring the Great Outdoors – he is prepared for everything. Well, he tries to be. There are plenty of things to learn and tips to follow.
However, Cub isn’t quite sure what he would do if he ever met a bear in the woods. So when Cub meets Brown, he finds that the outdoors, and the indoors, are full of surprises.
Creators
Edwina Wyatt is an award-winning Australian children’s author. She grew up in Sydney, and worked as a lawyer and a high school teacher before becoming a writer of books for young readers. Her debut junior fiction novel was The Secrets of Magnolia Moon. Edwina lives in the Victorian High Country with her husband and two children. She has a passion for horses, paddocks and pine trees, and is an “aspiring” vegetable gardener and pianist (although she cannot read music…). Some of her favourite authors include David Almond, Arnold Lobel, Virginia Woolf, Astrid Lindgren, Michelle Cuevas, Kate DiCamillo and A.A. Milne.
Evie Barrow is an artist and illustrator, living in Melbourne. In 2019 her debut picture book, Horatio Squeak, written by Karen Foxlee was published. In 2020, Evie will be publishing three new picture books with authors, Penny Harrison, Kat Patrick and Maggie Hutchinson. Along with children’s book work, her illustrations have featured in frankie magazine, Broadsheet press, Flow magazine and in the book Shout Out to the Girls.
Reviews
This heartwarming tale of adventure and friendship is irresistibly playful, steeped in humour, wit and a dash of whimsy – I was charmed from the very beginning. Cub and Brown is 12 chapters of sheer delight!… Together, Cub and Brown explore the woods over the summer, and discover the joys and (inevitable) conundrums of friendship. The conclusion is that life is overwhelmingly better when shared. With delightful illustrations generously scattered throughout, this wonderfully humorous read aloud chapter book will entertain the whole family (and any classroom); highly recommended
Readings
Cub and Brown is an exploration of friendship, imagination, and teamwork, and how a short-term relationship like Cub and Brown’s friendship can become one of the most important ones of all. So what if one is a boy and one is a bear? It has all the delights of childhood fun and ingenuity, minus the endearing chaos of Paddington (don’t worry Paddington, I still love your chaos). Brown is a good friend, as is Cub – it showed that friends can come from anywhere and that sometimes the ones we least expect to work out are the ones that are the most special. I felt like this book had a sense of timelessness about it – that it could have happened or been set at any time. I love books like this because I think readers of all ages can get something magical out of it, and it means that there are so many things within the book that are relatable in many ways. I loved this book and hope others enjoy it too.
Ashleigh Meikle
Cub and Brown is a warm-hearted story of friendship and trust. Innocence, respect and understanding form the basis of the unique and wonderful friendship that is Cub and Brown. Who knew a story about problem solving could bring a smile at every page? Treat yourself—read this beautiful book, buy it for your home library, borrow it from your school library or give it as a gift. Cub and Brown is to be treasured.
Reading Time
Cub And Brown is uplifting and friendly, with enough surprises to keep readers guessing, along with those gorgeous, silent observations that adults reading the book aloud will revel in without their small companions necessarily cottoning on. A delightful, wholesome read.
Kids Book Review
Fun, humour, play and good-times are the perfect tonic in a wonderful, life-affirming read that the whole family will enjoy sharing together. Beautifully written, Cub and Brown’s timeless exploration of friendship, teamwork and problem solving will have children smiling as they revel in wholesome fun and adults nodding along with the messages and life lessons that are being shared
A Word About Books
