Picture book review : It's A Bright World To Feel Lost In by Mawson

One of the hardest things to do when you are a bear (or a child) is find words to express your feelings, especially the ones that cause you pain, such as grief, loss and loneliness. Luckily, Mawson, the big-hearted, soul-searching teddy bear, is here to help. Despite his existential ponderings, he won't find all the answers, but he will give you lots of heartwarming one-liners to soothe your soul.

My favourite line from the book is : "That squeezy bit in the middle of a hug? That's home." There are many others that made me stop and think though, that look at what it means to find The One (in the book, this means the bear's special owner, but you could adapt it to to suit all manner of complicated real life situations, such as waiting for an adoptive parent, splitting up with a boyfriend/girlfriend or a best friend moving far away) - "You can hear all the things they don't know how to say." "A Poem. Now I'm me. Instead of us. And it's still grand to be a bear." "You can almost hear the sighs of someone hurting."

It's a book that can be read on a number of levels, so it will appeal to a very wide audience. Children will fall in love with the cuddly bear and the funny advice he gives to his soft toy friends (and readers), while adults will see the wisdom behind his words and realise that he's a very intelligent bear.

The accompanying photos, showing Mawson the bear and his cuddly friends in a wide variety of situations, from sitting on a shelf waiting to be chosen by a new owner to looking up words in a dictionary, exploring new places by boat or balloon and writing everything from poems to "wurry lists", are sure to make you smile, whatever your age. They will also help children to engage with the words, as they might feel a bit bemused by the lack of a structured story.

It's a lovely book for children and teddy bear-lovers of all ages, especially those in need of a few words of wisdom to put some brightness back in the world . It's a small book packed with big emotions.

• Paperback: 50 pages
• Publisher: Publisher Obscura (22 Jun. 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1922200441
• ISBN-13: 978-1922200440
• Product Dimensions: 16.5 x 0.4 x 16.5 cm

Disclosure : We received the book in order to write an honest review.