Dry bear humor

Turns out that there quite a few Benjamin Bears out there, but I don’t think there are many with the whimsy and charm of the one imagined by Philippe Coudray.  This new Toon Book is deceptively simple – one page comics made up of several panels each.  Benjamin and his friends (and whoever else) are drawn very simply, in a way that doesn’t overshadow the joke.  Benjamin is a kind bear who sees the possibilities in life.  When he meets a skinny, crescent moon, he feeds the moon until he is full (and quite round).  A karate-choppin’ fox breaks some boards and taunts Benjamin to copy him, and instead of foolishly hurting his hands, he picks up the fox and uses the fox’s karate chop action.  Check out some others from Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking:

If you’ve ever lost something special, you’ll know just how bear feels.  He lost his hat, and just wants it back.  I Want My Hat Back is the story of how bear asks his creature friends if they’ve seen his hat.  Each in turn says they have not, to which bear politely replies “OK, thank you anyway.”  One of his friends, an unusually defensive rabbit, says “No.  Why are you asking me.  I haven’t seen it. I haven’t seen any hats anywhere. I would not steal a hat.  Don’t ask me any more questions.”

“OK.  Thank you anyway” says bear even though, strangely, rabbit seems to be wearing a read pointy thing on his head…

Bear continues on, depressed over his missing hat.  Deer asks what his hat looks like.  Bear tells him that his hat is red, and pointy and… !

wait a minute!

I won’t tell the end of the story, but I will tell you that, while polite, bear is no fool.

Read this book!

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