Wonder Bear

In Tao Nyeu’s first picture book Wonder Bear, the dreamy landscape and abundance of fantastical creatures are sure to captivate the imaginations of not only the intended age group of three to five year-olds, but adults as well. Wonder Bear tells the story of two children and the magical top hat wearing bear they befriend. The boy and girl are introduced to peculiar yet friendly flying monkeys, dolphins, octopi, and a multitude of other creatures that emerge from the bubble-blowing bear’s hat. Free from the limitations of text, the book’s bold, colorful illustrations and loveable characters invite the viewer to construct their own unique story. Wonder Bear is a wholly original vision of the author, who cites a delicious, yet “very odd looking gummy bear” with magic powers, as her inspiration. The former graphic designer created Wonder Bear for her thesis project as a graduate student at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Nyeu is currently working on a second picture book also to be published by Dial Books for Young Readers.