"We live with a bear!" a boy insists. The bear that sleeps in the bedroom next to his is loud, bossy, and strong. His parents act like the bear is a member of the family, and he wonders why they can't see the truth. But when a trio of big kids order him off a swing, the bear roars loudly, scaring the bullies away, and then uses its strong arms to give swing pushes. The bear dispenses band aids when needed, eats food the boy doesn't like off his plate, and gives bear hugs. The large dark grey bear pictured throughout the book eventually takes the form of a human big sister, saying "I told you I'm NOT a bear!" With a smile, the boy declares that not only is she a bear, but so is he, and the two siblings roar in unison. Brief lines of speech bubble dialogue and short first-person statements from the young narrator are combined with soft-colored digital illustrations incorporating a variety of suggested textures and showing a light brown-skinned family that appears Asian to tell a story full of gentle humor, warmth, and emotional honesty. (Ages 3-6)

An overbearing older sibling can really be a bear, but the child in this understated, gently humorous story finds out that they can have their advantages, too.

"I live with a bear," the story's young narrator declares. The bear is loud, messy, uncouth, and very strong (too strong!). For some reason, his parents treat the bear like family, despite his protests. Why can't they see? Then he runs into some bullies on the playground. When the bear ROOAARS with all her might and scares them away, he realizes that there are advantages to having a bear in the family. In a delightful twist, the narrator's older sister (the bear) appears, telling him that she is NOT a bear. But if she is, HE is too--because two bears are even better than one!