A Voice for the Spirit Bears is a gorgeous children’s book about courage and persistence, looking at the life of David Simon Jackson. As a young boy, Simon stuttered. He preferred to keep to himself, and not talk around others. Classmates would bully him over it. So Simon ended up reading a lot, and his favourite thing to read about were bears. When he learned the first time, of bears endangered by logging, Simon raised money with a lemonade stand and donated the proceeds to help the bears. He also wrote a letter to government. Within a few weeks, the bears had a preserve of land set aside for them. As he grew older, Simon realised that his letter was probably not what caused the preserve to be created. But when he learned of the endangered spirit bears, Simon wanted to help them too. If one letter wouldn’t work, maybe thousands? Simon began speaking on behalf of the spirit bears, shining a light on the issue. He even started his own charity/ conservation group, and had the honour of meeting Jane Goodall. Even better, finding his passion freed Simon from his stutter. His enthusiasm overrode his speech impediment.

This was a lovely book with a great lesson. Several great lessons, truth be told. It’s a lesson in conservation and preservation, as we learn about the endangered bears and Simon’s desire and efforts to help them. And it’s a lesson in how freeing it can be to find your passion. It stokes your energy and helps obstacles seem to melt away. There’re also lessons about facing your fears, as Simon does by being brave enough to speak in front of others despite being picked on for his stuttering, and how even one person can make a difference, and together, we can make a BIG difference. The only thing I didn’t care for was the art style. It’s not bad, just not my cuppa. I’d certainly recommend this book for any child interested in animals!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.