Bearnard Writes a Book

Written by Deborah Underwood Publisher: Godwin Books (Henry Holt)

Out March 15, 2022!

In this is a sequel to Bearnard’s Book, Bearnard decides to write a book for his best friend, Gertie.

Gertie wants danger and excitement—complete with dragons, volcanoes, and rampaging monsters—while Bearnard just wants his friend to be safe! What will become of Gertie's story?

Process

This is a sequel to Bearnard’s Book, in which Bearnard’s dream to be in a book came true. The challenge with this book was how to fit all the text in each spread, but it turns out books can fit in quite a lot of text.

For the opening spread I imagined Bearnard’s living space that reflects his cozy and practical personality. Little bear jokes include the honey dispenser, carved wooden bear (a popular Japanese souvenir in Bear country Hokkaido), and a cameo from Dan Salmieri’s Bear and Wolf. The last page shows the same bookshelf and couch, but this time showing Thyra Heder’s Bear Report cover.

Bearnard facing a creative block was so relatable it was easy to draw….