Bear, the Guide Dog

What a sweet and heartfelt story! A guide dog named Bear finds a perfect partner in his owner, Patrick. But things dramatically change for Bear when suddenly his eyesight is gone. This causes him to embark on a journey to try to figure out how to be able to “see without seeing.” He ends up having quite an adventure and learns about friendship and other important aspects of life. Bear and Patrick become staunch friends; Bear winds up having surgery that mostly helps. The story has several themes, from perseverance to friendship to the importance of being of use to having faith in others (and yourself). The illustrations are lovely. At the beginning of the book, I loved the panels with all the dogs who were being trained with their owners. With just a few details, the illustrator was able to get across each different dog and their distinct personalities. Since we saw Bear choose and then mature into his role as a guide dog, we can't help but sympathize with him as he struggles with his new vision loss. I've read a variety of stories, but I don't think I've ever identified and felt so much for an animal in a story! This is a graphic novel, and I found it to be well done

I'd like to thank the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy of this book.
I loved the sweet story of Bear, a guide dog and Patrick, his blind owner. Bear gets lost and tries desperately to get back to his family, meeting some new friends along the way. Excellent illustrations, a lovely gift for a child!

At bear we follow a story that I have rarely read in my reading life and has undoubtedly been one of the best.
In it we follow bear a guide dog that helps Patric (blind) in his day to day and we see how his relationship grows so naturally in this graphic novel, which is very rarely achieved, but in this case it does. achievement.
Bear has a great sense of responsibility in his work and his appreciation for Patrick, suddenly Bear begins to have some difficulty (they have to read it to avoid losing the magic) and around it he embraces an adventure where his responsibility, love for His work and love for his owner are reflected, in addition to crossing his life with other species that teach him how to survive and not give up. Each page is very endearing, the way it was illustrated was magnificent and coupled with the story and made it feel so real and without a doubt each page is an art.
It is a reading for animal lovers, those who want to know new stories that we rarely see narrated and illustrated and that become unforgettable where we also see perseverance, friendship, identity. It is an emotional journey that touches our hearts and I told ourselves that we must always persevere in the face of adversity.

A read that certainly surprised me, it deserves all 5 stars or more if possible.

The story of a guide dog who gets lost in the woods and with the help of his new wild friends he must find his way back home and to his blind human.

This is definitely my favorite graphic novel so far. At first I thought it was a childrens book but it's not. It's for all ages. And it leaves beautiful messages about self-descovering and love. The way the author portrays the blind perspective of a character is amazing and it's really helpul for not-blind people to understand how they "see" the world.
I really liked the love the human Patrick and the dog Bear had for each other.
I loved the bats and the bear Stone. The raccoons were really funny as well as Stone' brothers.
The ending is one of the most beautiful ones and it made cry of happiness!
I will definitely buy a physical copy because I want to have this beautiful story in my hands.
I've never read anything like this so I really recommend it to everyone!
Ps: The illustrations are gorgeous!

Cute story that educates young readers about the blind community and what it’s like to navigate the world in a different way. The artwork and colors make this book feel extra warm and fuzzy and the relationship between dog and owner is one that many will relate to. I found the other animals in the story somewhat distracting, but did like the facts about animal senses and how they are different from humans. Finally, the use of imagery to help readers understand how someone who is blind might visualize the world around them was well done and a unique perspective I have not encountered in too many children’s books before. I would buy this book for my Middle School library. I received an advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this so much! I thought it was so cute and that the relationship between bear and Patrick was so cute.
I loved how the guy didn't go through something but the dog did instead. It wasn't just a cutesy children's book but actually an adventure of some sort.

I think this book is super cute and I would recommend it to many people.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title

The illustrations were lovely and the story was told very well.

Bear by Ben Queen is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about a service dog and his human. When Bear is matched with Patrick, it seems as if they were made for each other and they can fly through their world secure in their shared companionship and need. But when Bear experiences an event that threatens the comfortable life he has come to love, he runs away to the forest. There, he meets creatures who teach him that the world is larger than he ever knew and that he has secret powers if could only he could learn to harness them.. The gorgeous illustrations by Joe Todd-Stanton add to the visual impact as you follow Bear on his adventure. The illustrations add powerfully to the story, especially when showing Bear's perspective. There are many touching and sweet moments, but also very funny moments, especially when Bear's interpretation of the events don't quite match up to the reality. While the target audience is for middle-grade readers, people of all ages can appreciate the story and the lessons of never underestimating someone based on appearances..

Note: I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.

Patrick has been blind since an accident. To help him in his daily life, he takes a guide dog. Man and animal become fusional and live peacefully until the day when the dog loses his sight.

A sweet story, an initiatory quest, which shows a different vision of the world than the one we already know.
The illustrations are very beautiful and soft and the cutting makes the reading very fluid.

In short, to discover and make people discover! ^^

Beautiful story about a seeing eye dog and his owner. The illustrations were incredible and the story was beautiful. Bear is a guide dog and he loves his owner Patrick. One day, Bear loses his sight and begins to question his purpose. So he goes on an adventure to get his eyesight back. Bear learns to see the world by using his other senses. One of my favorite quotes was "It's the brain that makes the images, not your eyes..." Bear meets a variety of animals along the way who teach him how to "see" by using his other senses, such as smell and touch. This would be a great book to read with children because they can learn about how the senses work, both with humans and animals. Definitely want to purchase this book!

first of all I have to tell you that the illustrations in this book are beautiful as well as the story. We follow Bear who is a guide dog and his owner Patrick, one day Bear loses his sight and does not know what to do because if he does not recover it he will not be able to help his owner and if he cannot do that, what is his purpose in life? so Bear decides to embark on an adventure to regain his sight.

It is a really beautiful story, with a strong and clear message:
"...the way we see the world depends not just on what we've seen, but what experiences we have had, and most importantly who we are".

I loved Bear's perspective and "voice". It was an interesting interweaving story. The illustrations were strong and had a unique quality I liked.
"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

A wonderful story that teaches empathy, and will appeal to kids who like learning about animals. Gorgeous artwork too.

This is a super cute graphic novel about a guide dog and his owner. Bear, the dog, unwittingly ends up on an adventure that sees him traveling and meeting wild animal friends. This is a fun and entertaining book that I can see lo 8ds reading over and over.

I love this sweet and somewhat true story of a man and his service dog, Bear. The author gathered inspiration from many service dogs and their people and wove that in with a fantastical adventure for Bear. The illustrations are wonderful and there are many educational elements about disabilities and service dogs. Recommended for kids and adults.

Super cute and charming book about overcoming adversities, the power of love and loyalty, and recognizing your self worth in this inspiring story. Big dog, Bear and his relationship with his human, Patrick will warm your heart and Bear’s adventure will have readers gasping and “awww-ing” in all the right places. This is bound to be a big hit with kids and will have everyone wishing for their own Bear.

This lovely book is the tale of a guide dog "Bear" who loses his sight. His journey to find a cure brings him to the woods where he finds danger and friendship. The artwork is gorgeous. The story is heartwarming with just enough danger to make it interesting without being too scary. Readers will love "Bear" and the friends he makes, they'll be cheering him on his journey. The short back matter is informative and interesting. Highly recommended for all ages.

I thought this was going to be a picture book, so I was expecting it to be shorter. I'm glad it was actually so much more!
I loved the images and the colours. I loved how the bear friend was portrayed as nice and not viscous and deadly. I loved how there were a bunch of animals and Bear (the dog) learns about different ways to see, and smell, and locate.
It was very special and emotional. I even teared up towards the end.

Beautifully illustrated story told from multiple perspectives about perseverance, duty, and problem solving.

"...the way we see the world depends not just on what we've seen, but what experiences we have had, and most importantly who we are".
-Ben Queen

Patrick and Bear were meant to be together. Patrick, twenty-nine years old, was totally blind having lost his sight in an accident. He repairs and services vending machines. Bear is a guide dog, a two year old Lab/Golden cross. After three weeks of intensive training, Bear is placed with Patrick...they immediately bond. Bear learns Patrick's daily routine, however, Bear is not a routine dog. "If he finds himself in a new situation, he can figure his way out...he improvises...he never gives up". One day, life changes...Bear barks and growls. Patrick calls the 24/7 emergency hot line at the school.

Bear can't see, he tells the raccoons living under the floorboards. The raccoons are opportunistic. "There's magic in the woods"...perhaps a trip there will restore your vision. A ruse...they abandon Bear in the woods...their hiding place in Patrick's house will not be compromised! While Patrick and Meg (from the school) search for Bear, he tries to find his way home. He happens upon a journey of discovery after falling into a bears den and being saved by Stone, the bear. Stone teaches Bear to use his sense of smell more proficiently. "Feel the breeze...distant scents can ride the wind". A chance meeting with a bat named Andromeda...bats can "see" with sound. Andromeda schools Bear. Bear says, "I have a job to get back to and it's not just any job. I am a guide dog. That's who I am. It's my purpose in life. And if I lose that..." How can Bear find his way home to Patrick?

"Bear" by Ben Queen is a wonderful children's book about visualizing the world a different way. "It's the brain that makes the images, not your eyes...". The continual presence of nemesis raccoons and growling bears might diminish the enjoyment of this graphic novel full of magical realism. The illustrations by Joe Todd-Stanton are beautifully rendered. This tome is appropriate for third graders and up.

Thank you BOOM! Studios/ Archaia and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.