Title: Cub’s Big World

Author: Sarah Thomson

Illustrator: Joe Cepeda

Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books

Year: 2013

Word Count: Approx. 330

For day ten of Christie Wright Wild’s PB 14:14 blog challenge, I will examine the element Theme. The themes presented in Cub’s Big World are curiosity, courage, and the comfort of home.

The story starts out telling us that Cub knew all about the world.

It was smooth and white and cool. Inside the world were Mom and Cub. And that was all.

Cub was happy inside this world that she knew. She felt safe and comfortable in the den with her mother, but things were about to get interesting.

Mom left the den and Cub “scrambled outside after her”. Cub had never seen the blue sky before or felt the cold wind. She was very curious, so she set off to explore.

Cub found a hill. Step by step by step, she went up and up and up. At the top she stopped and stared. The world was big, big, big!

Cub played in the snow for a while until she realized that Mom was nowhere to be seen. So after startling a raven, an ermine (short-tailed weasel), and a seal, because she thought they were Mom, she mustered up some courage and climbed another hill.

Cub was brave. She found another hill. Step by step by step, she went up and up and up. From here, she thought, I will see Mom.

Finally, Cub does find Mom. Or did Mom find Cub?

“Dear Cub,” said Mom. “The world is big. I’ll be close by till you’re big, too.”

And finally, on the last page, we come around full-circle to the comfort of home.

Mom’s fur was soft. Her voice was sweet. Her heart beat thump, thump, thump. “Home,” whispered Cub.

The illustrations in Cub’s Big World (done in oils and acrylics), are superb and complement the text perfectly. I especially like the picture of Cub rolling down the hill. This book is worth a look!