The Bear and the Butterfly

In a whispering forest, Bruno is an enormous brown bear with gentle eyes and a warm smile. Although his paws are large enough to cover a dinner plate, he moves slowly and carefully so he never startles the squirrels and rabbits living nearby. On a gray, rainy afternoon, he notices a tiny butterfly named Bella struggling with water-heavy wings, and he raises his great paw to shelter her like an umbrella. This small act of kindness begins an unlikely friendship between the biggest creature in the forest and one of the smallest.

Every morning after that, Bella visits Bruno, landing on his nose or resting on his paw while they talk about flowers and honey. Then one day Bruno wanders too deep into the forest and loses his way among the thick trees. Just as he wishes his little friend were there, Bella appears, having followed him, and she knows the way home. Since Bruno cannot always see her among the branches, she darts from red poppy to yellow sunflower to blue cornflower, turning the bright flowers into a colorful trail. Written by Jane MEADOW, this gentle tale can be read on Kids Tale Book.