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Grin and bear it

The tale of a bear who travels all the way from Indonesia to stay with his uncle at a honey factory in Dublin sounds like the plotline of a book for the under 9s. By Ade O'Connor - 24/02/09

Yet there is plenty for well-read youths and adults with an active imagination in The Bear In the Safari Hat, by Jojo Gould.

Brosnan heads to Dublin for work experience with his uncle Furry O’Mara, amidst a world of honey mead, the Bear Express newspaper and happy working bears and bees, where he quickly stamps his own charm and influence on the place. The setting, the author name-dropping locations such as St Stephen’s Green and O’Connell Street is also a fresh idea for an imaginative novel.

Gould has cleverly based the characters of Brosnan and Furry O’Mara on US President Barack Obama, using imagery and similarities in the plot to compare the two. From the Irish and Scottish ancestry of the pair, to the message of hope carried to the West, Brosnan’s character emits the same charm and enterprise as Obama. Least subtly of all, the book was released on July 4, US Independence Day.

The human qualities of the bears in particular are endearing. Each character has a distinctly warm personality, even in the face of adversity. Although the concept of this book is an unusual one, it proves to be quite a page turner – and it would be, erm, a ‘bear faced lie’ if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the next instalment of Brosnan’s adventures…

The Bear in a Safari Hat (Secret Pockets Entertainments) is out now.