About the Holiday

Hey, dude! You don’t need to be a surfer to enjoy Get Gnarly Day! Today’s holiday is less about pitting yourself against the wild seas and more about challenging yourself to toss away old ideas and try new ones. So, whether you’re hanging ten or not, don’t be afraid to get rid of those habits, thoughts, or actions that are cluttering up your life—just like Bear in today’s book!

Big Brown Bear’s Cave

By Yuval Zommer

One day Big Brown Bear came upon a cave that was just perfect for him, and he moved right in. Even though it was dusty and dark in just the right ways, when he stretched this way and that, “the cave just didn’t fit quite right.” So Big Brown Bear went for another walk to find another cave. What he found instead astonished him. “Humans had their own caves!” These were dark and dusty just like his, but “they were full of STUFF!”

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Bear decided that stuff would make his cave just right too. He collected all kinds of stuff, like stuff with wheels, stuff with handles, and stuff in boxes. He wanted to fill up his cave top to bottom with stuff. When his friends came by to see Bear and his new home, there was no room for them amidst all the stuff. In fact, there was hardly any room for Bear “to even stretch or scratch or do any of the other things that bears generally like to do.” And when he was invited to go fishing, he couldn’t go because he got stuck in the middle of all his stuff. It took lots of pulling and tugging by his friends to free Bear from his stuff trap.

Bear decided he’s had enough of stuff, so he and his friends took it all “back to the humans’ caves. Bear’s cave was empty again, but now his friends could curl up inside too, and “Bear found the perfect spot for sleeping right away” in his just-right home.

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Yuval Zommer’s quick romp that takes readers from the excitement of collecting all sorts of cool stuff to the realization that there really is such a thing as too much will make kids laugh as Bear enthusiastically carries home bikes and watering cans and boxes, boxes, boxes, gets stuck in the muddle, and finally pops free with a tumble. But how can Bear’s cave be so full and yet so empty at the same time? Young readers will see that it’s not the amount of stuff they have that makes a home—or a heart—feel just right, but the friends that share their space.

Zommer’s beautifully detailed and textured digital art brings the forest alive with scruffy squirrels, deep, dark caves, falling leaves, and one furry Bear. His revelation of “human caves” sets up a clever “Ah-ha” moment for both kids and adults and will no doubt have children asking if they can play in the cave after reading. Zommer’s pages invite lingering to view all of the items piled on the floor, shelves, and in Bear’s cave. Readers can make a fun game of seeing how much of Bear’s stuff they have as well.

Ages 3 – 7

Templar Books, 2018 | ISBN 978-0763696467

National Get Gnarly Day Activity

Flip-Flop Flower Pot Holder

Do you have some old flip-flops taking up space in your closet? With this super easy craft you can make them into pretty gnarly plant or small item holders.