Today is World Environment Day!
Are you looking for a book to introduce your child to important concepts of animal rights? Look no further than our gorgeous picture book Dancing Bear!
Somu the bear is unusual. He can dance! But Somu wants to be unchained. Can his friend Altaf understand this? Will Altaf ever set him free? This story describes the true plight of dancing bears in India and has been commended by wildlife organizations and educational institutions.
The Qalandars, a nomadic gypsy tribe date themselves and the origin of bear-dancing back to the 13th century in India. They gained prominence as the royal entertainers of the Mughal emperors. With the fall of the empire, they began to perform bear-dancing for the general public. Today, bear-dancing is banned in India however the law is not easily implemented and sadly bear-dancing still prevails.
This book provides a very powerful message of ecological responsibility through the simple story of a boy and an animal that he loves. Wildlife SOS is a registered non-profit charity that liberates and rehabilitates these dancing bears. This story was inspired by their efforts.
This book has been illustrated beautifully by Korean illustrators Gwangjo and Jung-a Park in water colours. The illustrations lend the book an unusual quality and each page is a work of art.