Can Bears Ski?

This multi-layered, skilfully woven story provides a brilliant insight into how children make sense of their experience when they don’t have the words to describe it. * The Scotsman *The detail of how Little Bear can feel the vibration of Dad’s feet on the floor rather than hear his voice in the morning, and how he can feel the crunch of the snow under his feet when he walks to school, as well as the experience of visiting an audiologist, bring an authenticity to the depiction of being deaf or hard of hearing in childhood alongside a lovely story told in a relatable child voice. * BookTrust *This is a powerful and beautifully created book. * Able *The story is direct and straight-forward without ignoring either the best times or the challenging times for those who are lip reading and/or have hearing loss. Colourful full-page illustrations will capture the attention of both children and their families. This is a book which should certainly have a place in every primary school for children, teachers, parents and staff. * The School Librarian *Drawing on Antrobus’ childhood experience with undiagnosed deafness, this new paperback edition comes with a BSL alphabet, as well as Dunbar’s cuddly illustrations. * Guardian *

Raymond Antrobus became the first poet to be awarded the Rathbone Folio Prize, and in 2021 he was awarded an MBE for his services to literature. His adult poetry collection The Perseverance won Raymond the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award and the Ted Hughes Award. His poetry collection, All the Names Given, was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize. Can Bears Ski?, illustrated by Polly Dunbar, was Raymond’s picture book debut.