Baby Bear / Kadir Nelson

Baby Bear was inspired by multiple sources, but there is one in particular that stands out. I remember sitting at the Newberry-Caldecott awards banquet and listening to Laura Amy Schlitz deliver her acceptance speech. She spoke beautifully about an imaginary bear that confronted her in a moonlit clearing in the forest. In addition to her brilliant story, I couldn't get the image out of my head. I thought I'd really love to paint it one day. I knew that when the idea to write and illustrate Baby Bear came about, I would save a special spot for an important meeting by moonlight. And thus, Baby Bear meets dear Owl.

While exploring the scene with dear Owl, I remembered being on the big island in Hawaii and gazing up at the starry heavens. The stars were so bright, the sky a deep indigo blue, and the Milky Way so clear. It didn't seem real. I felt as though each star was so close I could reach out and touch it. I felt so loved by and connected to them. It was this feeling I wanted to capture for Baby Bear as Owl tells him, "You only need look up and keep going. You will find your way home."