Where Bear? and Pom Pom Gets the Grumps by Sophy Henn

Pom Pom comes hot on the heels of Where Bear and coincides with the latter’s paperback release. Both are colourful, playful picture books from new author/illustrator Sophy Henn.

A boy with a pet polar bear (indulgent parents involved here? It need not be explained) realises his house is far from the ideal environment for an animal of this kind. So... Where Bear? He sets out to find the best possible home for his friend, gradually ruling out the desert and the zoo among other locations. There’s a gentle humour at play in this sweet, considerate story.

In Pom Pom Gets the Grumps, poor Pom Pom the panda is having one of those days when everything goes wrong, from breakfast to playground, each obstacle causing him to pronounce, ‘harumph!’ This is a lovely reminder that we all have grumpy days sometimes, and when we do it’s best to seek the help of our friends rather than try to deal

with it alone.

The bold, flat colour of the illustrations and the clear storytelling make Henn’s work pleasing to read, and the subtle thoughtfulness of these stories combines to make them great choices for early picture books.

2+