"There’s no book like this that I know of. It explains grief in a way that speaks to any age, with its quiet understanding of what it is like to lose someone you love. It’s a beautiful book." Julia Marshall, Publisher

An almost single-color picture book tracks the path of grief, ending with the uplifting new beginning of a budding friendship based on understanding. When the little bird dies, his friend the bear is inconsolable. Full of grief, he locks himself in his house and ventures out again only when the smell of young spring grass blows through his window. He always carries a small box, which he opens for no one. He meets a wildcat who understands his need to carry the box. As the cat plays on her violin, the bear remembers all the beauty he experienced with the little bird. Now he can bury his friend, keeping him alive in his memories and feelings. The Bear and the Wildcat shows a way through paralyzing grief and simultaneously tells the story of a hopeful new friendship.

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"If grieving people are allowed to grieve, then they will find their way back to the joy of life - that’s the message of this delicate Japanese book."