This book is so cute. The illustrations are gorgeous, the text is fun and full of puns, and with or without kids it's a fun read. I appreciated that it was a cute book with good background themes instead of trying to make everything a teaching moment. Highly recommend.


Thank you to NetGalley & Owlkids Books for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This review is of the published version.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

How to Be Human is about a bear who wants to learn to be a human. He has lived alone in the woods. He sees humans interacting around him each day. A young girl helps the bear to learn about making a ponytail and winning a thumb war. The bear tries all these things but doesn't feel like himself. The story is good for discussing what humans and people do differently and being yourself.

I LOVE STORIES CENTERED AROUND BEARS! And this one was such a great story about friendship and how it can look different sometimes, but if it works, it works! And I thought the illustrations were just so fantastic.

How to Be Human: A Bear’s Guide was an interesting book. The title is a bit deceiving as the bear tries to be human, but also tries to teach his human friend how to be a bit more like a bear. The illustrations were nice, Overall it was a moderate book. The book is one that may or may not be added to my classroom library.

How to Be Human: A Bear's Guide is such a fun story on cohabitation with wildlife. I enjoyed the elements of sustainability and appreciating nature.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is an adorable book that reminded me of "Don't feed the bear". I think I'll definitely be adding it to my storytime rotation.

This is an adorable book! My 6 year old loves it and I’ve read it several times! I’ll be purchasing copies for family and friends!

Ugh! This story seriously melted my heart! It is the perfect picture book for Earth Day. Originally, bear is trying to fit into the human world because his habitat is decreasing. He meets a young girl that tries to help him be more human. After some adorable failures, the girl realizes that maybe humans should become more like bears. Together, they form a friendship and a plan to bring back bear’s forest.

We all can learn how to be better humans…but maybe we can also learn some of these things from bears. ❤️🐻

A bear feels out of place in a world dominated by humans (and their noise), so he decides to try and be a human. A little girl befriends him and teaches him ‘human’ things…but also learns that we humans can learn a lot from bears, especially how to appreciate our environment.🌲

I loved the illustrations, they were cute and comical at times. Definitely appealing and looking forward to adding this to my classroom library.

This book was adorable! I loved the message of how humans could benefit from learning about how animals interact with nature, so we could emulate it. That way we could better take care of the environment and keep the animals safe and healthy, while also preserving our land.
The illustrations were soft and pulled me right into the story.

When a bear realizes his habitat is slowly disappearing, he decides it might be best for him to learn how to be human. Fortunately his teacher, a young girl, discovers it would be better for humans to learn to be humane.

Now how do we get the people who most need that lesson to read this book?

A beautifully illustrated book on the importance of friendship and respecting nature.

Cute picture book about being yourself. Illustrations were vibrant and well done. Near the end, I thought it was going to take a turn into being more Earth-friendly and eco-conscious, but it ended up being a missed opportunity. Overall, I enjoyed it.

In a Nutshell: Un-bear-ably cute and relevant! Loved it!

A bear who lives in the forest is tired of doing bear things, especially as the world around him has changed, with fewer trees and fish. So he decides to try out the human way of living, which also results in dissatisfaction. Luckily, he finds a human girl who speaks bear, and she teaches him the art of being human. When this also doesn’t work, they reverse the training and the girl learns the art of being bear. This mutual friendship results in some thoughtful life lessons for the girl and for us.

Every part of this story is adorable.

Characters: The bear and the girl are depicted in an atypical way, with both of them sharing a collaborative relationship than one based on fear or selfishness. I loved their bond with each other, and also how they were each willing to listen to the other. True friendship isn’t just about getting your own way but about learning to listen to your pal too. It also shows how friendship has no boundaries.

Content: The text is written in a language that kids will understand and enjoy. It has enough elements of fun balanced with deep elements. The text doesn’t overwhelm the page while still providing enough food for thought. I appreciate how it highlighted the devastation humans have had on natural habitats, and how we must stop the rat race at times and just listen to what nature is trying to tell us. When such an important message is conveyed to kids in accessible language, it is sure to drive home.

Illustrations: What’s a children’s picture book without awesome illustrations? Every page of this book had so much to say! Some things that are just hinted at in the text are given focus in the artwork. It broke my heart to see the chopped-off trees and the plastic garbage strewn around. But these are the very factors that enhance the impact of the book. The pastel-style drawings add the right charm to a story about living in harmony with nature and its denizens.

This would work wonderfully at homes and even in classroom as it offers many opportunities for a meaningful discussion. The writing will work well for readers aged 3-8 years.

In short, I loved this book bear-y much!

5 satisfied stars.

My thanks to Owlkids Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “How to Be Human: A Bear’s Guide”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I have the opportunity to read children’s books with one of my grandsons fairly often so I’ve been requesting the Advance Reader Copies on NetGalley so I can add his opinion to the reviews. I thought this one looked nice and we both enjoyed it. HOW TO BE HUMAN: A BEARS GUIDE by Sophia Kolinas.

A bear notices it’s getting harder to survive in its ever shrinking forest and enlists a little girl to help him adapt to city life. Nothing goes as hoped and the girl feels that maybe humans should instead learn from bears and they work together and come to the realization that the Earth is a place of giving, where all living things breathe together.

The artwork is both charming and inviting, and the story itself has us discussing the value of sharing ideas and learning from others. 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

A "beary" cute story about a little girl who teaches a bear how to be human. Ultimately, the bear decides that human life is not for him and he teaches the little girl how to be a bear, who also draws the conclusion that she is happy being a human. They end up unlikely friends.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me review this story. My opinions are entirely my own.

How to be Human:A Bear's Guide is a wonderful book to introduce children to the environment. Human activity can negatively effect the lives of wildlife (in this case bears)

It's an great story with great images to match

This book is a cute concept but the book itself jumped around. There was not much of an explanation for the switch up in the middle and the story is not very exciting.

An absolutely adorable book about a bear who finds it increasingly difficult to be a bear. So, he finds a human to teach him how to be a human. Once the human had taught him everything he needs to know they venture into the city, where bear discovers he prefers being a bear. He then teaches the human how to be more like a bear, which inevitably leads to a happy ending for all.

A delightful story with adorable illustrations make this book perfect for a read aloud or story time!

I received an electronic ARC from Owlkids Books through NetGalley.
Kolinas introduces readers to a bear who feels they are losing their home area to human development. He decides to become more human so chooses a young girl to study. She teaches him all about being human. Together, they venture into the city with messy results. The bear returns to the forest; the girl goes with him as they have become friends. They realize they are different and alike also. They find a way to replant forest areas and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. The illustrations are welcoming and pull readers in as part of this friendship.