The Bear Ate Your Sandwich

Julia: One winter day I was walking from the subway to work. I was bundled up in a big winter coat, feeling like a burly bear. Moving along the crowded sidewalks, I felt both invisible and also like I was in everyone else’s way. As I bumbled along, I imagined a bright, bustling city street with a confused but curious bear in the middle of the sidewalk, completely unnoticed. At work I wondered about the bear. “What would the bear be doing in the city?” Then I began to do serious research. Walking to work, I would pretend I was a bear. “If I was a bear and could climb anywhere, where would I go? What would the sidewalk feel like under my paws?” I kept drawing the bear in the city and from there the story developed. The serious research went beyond pretending to be a bear. A lot of sandwiches were also eaten in the making of this book.

Just like the Bear, I hope readers will enjoy every crumb of silly adventure, a little taste of mystery, and maybe come back for seconds!