Author(s): Daniel Salmieri

Picture | Thinking & Feeling

They're young and curious, slipping easily into friendship as they amble along together, seeing new details in the snowy forest. Together they spy an owl overhead, look deep into the frozen face of the lake, and contemplate the fish sleeping below the surface. Then it's time to say goodbye: for Bear to go home and hibernate with the family and for Wolf to run with the pack. Daniel Salmieri's debut as author/illustrator is a beautifully rendered story of friendship and the subtle rhythm of life when we are open to the world and to each other.

Review: A New York Times Editors' Choice A Capitol Choices Book of 2019 A Brain Pickings Best Children's Book of 2018 Winter 2017 - 2018 Kids Indie Next Pick! A Fatherly Best Children's Book of 2018 Selected for exhibition in the 2018 Society of Illustrators Original Art show "Just found the book we'll gift to every child we know!"-PBS "Stunning, serene and philosophical"-Maria Russo, The New York Times "Salmieri's authorial debut reveals his thorough understanding of pacing and the interplay of words and pictures. [...] Without a whiff of didacticism, Salmieri shows readers how to appreciate beauty, invite friendship, express gratitude, let go, and walk in the world. An engaging read best shared one-on-one."-Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library, School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW "The two walk together, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest in winter, all evoked in quietly powerful sensory language. Readers who have met Salmieri through his illustrations for Adam Rubin's hectic Dragons Love Tacos books may be surprised at the contemplative nature of this one. [...] With its air of nighttime mystery, this is one that readers will want to revisit again and again."-Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW "Hushed and lovely, this is a picture book to calm and inspire."-Meghan Cox Gurdon, The Wall Street Journal "In a testament to Anais Nin's observation that 'it is a sign of great inner insecurity to be hostile to the unfamiliar,' Bear and Wolf meet each other not with frightened hostility but with openhearted, compassionate curiosity. Their encounter is a shared question mark regarded with mutual goodwill and concern for, rather than fear of, the other."-Maria Popova, Brain Pickings "In a satisfying conclusion, Salmieri trades the chilly colors of winter for springtime pastels as Wolf and Bear meet again: 'Bear and Wolf walked through the gentle breeze, using their eyes, and ears, and noses to take in the awakening woods.'"-Publishers Weekly "Bear and Wolf is a quiet, meditative walk through a snowy forest with two friends who have in common a love of cold and silence. Salmieri's expressive illustrations lend an air of mystery and warmth to this spellbinding wintry stroll." -Hannah DeCamp, Avid Bookshop (Athens, GA) ". . . Bear & Wolf has all the makings of a modern classic. It's the Amos & Boris for the modern age." -Fatherly "a beautifully rendered story of friendship and the subtle rhythm of life when we are open to the world and to each other. [...] unreservedly recommended"-The Midwest Book Review "Of the hundreds of picture books I've read in August, this is my favourite and I cannot wait to share it with students, art teachers, counselors and classroom teachers. It is a master class on writing that will be used as a mentor text for years to come. The artwork is the best I've seen by [Dan Salmieri] and the simple yet poignant storyline is sublime. It's a book about friendship, similarities and differences, connectedness, and curiosity. I LOVE IT! Buy this for a loved one, your classroom, your library, yourself...you won't regret it."-Kimbra Power, The Barefoot Librarian "A sweet, gentle story celebrating new friendship and reveling in the glories of winter and its glistening white snow. Thoughtfully written and illustrated with a serene softness and varying perspectives, Bear and Wolf will make quite [an] impact on readers in its own, thoughtful, quiet way." -Michelle Sterling, Avery and Augustine "This is Daniel's debut as author/illustrator and it couldn't be a more gorgeous glimpse of what he is capable of, and we look forward to following what he makes next." -The Reading Ninja