Youre Snug With Me

By Chitra Soundar and Poonam Mistry

At the start of winter, two bear cubs are born, deep in their den in the frozen North. "Mama, what lies beyond here?" they ask. "'Above us is a land of ice and snow." "What lies beyond the ice and snow?" they ask. "The ocean, full of ice from long ago." And as they learn the secrets of the Earth and their place in it, Mama Bear whispers, "You're snug with me."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lantana Publishing
• Release date: Dec 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9781913747015

Chitra Soundar

Chitra Soundar is an Indian-born British author and storyteller. She has published over 30 books and is inspired by the rich heritage of epics and folktales from India.

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Reviews for Youre Snug With Me

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Chitra Soundar and Poonam Mistry, the author/illustrator team responsible for that lovely bedtime book, You're Safe With Me, return to the form in this second offering, and the result is a triumph. A mother polar bear digs herself a den, gives birth to two cubs, and continually reassures them that they are snug with her, as she explains the larger world to them...Although You're Snug With Me makes for a lovely reassurance story, it is also an exploration of the natural world of the Arctic, and of issues of environmental stewardship. I appreciated the simple narrative from Soundar, but the stand-out here for me was the gorgeously detailed folk-style artwork from Mistry, which is simply stunning. I have seen this book criticized, because Mistry's style is inspired by various folk arts of India, rather than being native to the Arctic. As someone who has read numerous Arctic stories illustrated with various Western, European-derived styles of illustration (probably the majority of picture-books are illustrated in these styles, in fact), I was not unduly disturbed by the use of an Indian-inspired style. Perhaps I would feel differently if this were a traditional folktale, although it's worth noting that the Inuit-owned Inhabit Media, which publishes exclusively Arctic-related fare, utilizes numerous illustrators who do not work in a traditional Inuit style. Recommended to readers looking for beautifully-illustrated reassurance stories for bedtime and/or stories about polar bears and the Arctic.