Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North, character-centric story for 9 and up

There is something very familiar about Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North. It’s a calm, soothing vibe that readers might not have felt since the last time they saw Duane. He’s a polar bear who lives in the very, very far north where the days can be short if they exist at all, and the nights can be endless. But during the warmer couple of weeks, it’ll be just the opposite. Duane has a lot in common with another easy-going bear in that he’s got some friends that hang out with him too. Aside from his friends, it’s the tone of Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North that will softly hook in readers who are eight and older.

This is an easygoing tale of friendship, different personalities, and life’s simple things that add up make good stories into lifelong memories. Accompanying Duane in this relentlessly cold climate is Major Puff, a puffin, Handsome, a musk ox, Twitch, an Arctic hare, C.C., a snowy owl, Magic a fox, and someone new joins them for this second round of stories. The first book in the series The Very Far, Far North served as an introduction to these characters.

Even if you haven’t read that book you’ll catch on very quickly to Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North. There are a fast two pages that introduce each animal and their relationship to the permafrost. All of them except for one that is. He’s a weasel and if there’s one thing that the first book didn’t have it was a heel. A villain, the bad guy, macguffin or erstwhile gum in the works that cause strife.

Even Winnie the Pooh had issues. Granted it might have been that his honey was too far down in his pot, but he had problems. That’s a close template as to how Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North operates. It’s a gentle book that’s more about getting along and being a good person, rather than focusing on the things or habits that drive us apart. This is a soft, anthology that saunters across the permafrost telling readers about the various pastries that the animals are eating. The book is presented in the third person and one can easily envision Wilford Brimley or someone else who is older, trusted, and feels like your grandparent reading the book to you.

At the root of Duane’s problems is a weasel who is spreading distrust among friends. If they’re not careful then someone’s feelings are going to get hurt and that’s never a good thing. Sure enough, inter-species friendships start to go south, most notably any birds that might be delaying their flight plans for the hard winter. After that, bad seeds are shown and it all happens right as a big party is being planned.

This is comfort food in book form for upper elementary through middle school readers. Each chapter is as long as 14 pages, with some illustrations here or there interspersed throughout. There are soft lessons that kids can learn and the book does so without bonking them on the head with them. Author Dan Bar-El has a very homespun, aw-shucks way of presenting the story that all-but makes it seem like Gomer Pyle is going to appear out from behind an igloo.

Parents or educators will like the book and its predecessor because of the character development and plot. It feels like a book from another generation, but at the same time, it’s thoroughly modern and devoid of any technology whatsoever. Young readers will like it because it’s a “book”, that they’ll enjoy reading as much as their parents will enjoy watching them read it. If readers like fart or juvenile humor this won’t be their jam. This is a calm read that lets upper elementary school through middle-grade readers know that there’s life beyond the potty, and it’s pretty good.

Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North is by Dan Bar-El with illustrations by Kelly Pousette and on Simon & Schuster.

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