Out of the Blue

A boy's usual routine is shaken up by the sudden appearance of a bear in Out of the Blue, an award-winning Danish picture book from author Rebecca Bach-Lauritsen and illustrator Anna Margrethe Kjærgaard about embracing surprise, adapting to change, and welcoming new friendships.Translated from Danish by Michael Favala GoldmanA 2025 Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year! One of Betsy Bird's Top 15 Translated Children's Picture Books of 2024! In a house where everything is arranged just so, there lives a boy whose days are filled with peace, quiet, and solitude. Every morning, he wakes up and follows the exact same routine, without fail… until the day something new appears, out of the blue: a bear! In this imaginative and empowering picture book, a meticulous child steps out of his comfort zone of control and opens himself up to unfamiliar and unexpected experiences. Thanks to author Bach-Lauritsen's poetic text, fluidly translated by Goldman from Danish to English, and the spare, highly communicative, and absorbing illustrations from Kirkus Prize for Young Readers finalist Kjærgaard, this is a sensitive, encouraging story about how embracing change can lead to trust and friendship!