Otis Knows (How to Be a Bear)

Kiddos, especially any fans of Fat Bear Week, will love sweet, funny Otis, and giggle at his sleeping form facedown in his own drool in his cave or zonked out on the riverbank, clueless he’s become the resting spot for a butterfly. Laberis’ digitally rendered illustrations have great variety in their layout… There’s fun here but also a sweet moral about doing things on your own timeline that will resonate with readers who move at a slightly slower pace. An author’s note provides more information about bear #480 at Katmai National Park & Preserve, which inspired the story, and hibernation. – BCCB * May 2026 *Inspired by a real brown bear—a denizen of Alaska’s Katmai National Park & Preserve, and repeat Fat Bear Week champion—this sturdy picture book advocates industrial-strength patience and unflappable self-knowledge. After hibernating through the Alaskan winter, bears awaken with bellies like “hollow pockets, growling to be filled,” Scanlon and Brockenbrough write. The animals trudge to the river where salmon are running… while “other bears are younger. Faster. Stronger,” Otis doesn’t worry. Across digital drawings that resemble contemporary animation, Laberis portrays the bear as rakish, rumpled, and wise: he waits for the perfect spot, eats unhurriedly, and occasionally naps, knowing that “what does matter is being a bear in his own way, in his own time.” It’s an energy worth bearing in mind when the world demands keeping up. – Publishers Weekly * 2/23/2026 *

Liz Garton Scanlon is the author of numerous celebrated picture books, including One Dark Bird; In the Canyon; Happy Birthday, Bunny!; the Caldecott Honor recipient All the World; Thank You, Garden; and The Family Tree. Liz is an adjunct professor of creative writing at Austin Community College, and her poetry has been published widely in literary journals. She lives with her family in Austin, Texas.

Martha Brockenbrough is the author of more than twenty books for young readers, including YA fiction and nonfiction, picture books, a middle grade mystery, and a chapter book series. She founded National Grammar Day, and her work has been published in The New York Times. Martha lives in Seattle with her family.

Stephanie Laberis is a California-based artist and Rhode Island School of Design alumna. Her childhood spent in the woods of New England sparked her love for animals and the natural world and still inspires her artwork. She is the illustrator of many picture books, including All of Those Babies by Mylisa Larsen; Fur, Feather, Fin: All of Us Are Kin by Diane Lang; and the Grumpy Cat Little Golden Book series. When she’s not drawing, Steph volunteers at her local wildlife hospital or spends quality time with her beloved cats, rats, and mice.