A (cute) lesson in how 'you can be different -- and yet still be friends'

Every week, The Thread checks in with booksellers around the country about their favorite books of the moment. This week, we spoke with Julie Poling from Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul.Julie Poling just fell in love with a new children's book: "Bear's Scare."It's written and illustrated by Jacob Grant. The book revolves around Bear, who is very sure he keeps a tidy house. He inspects the rooms, carrying his own stuffed bear, Ursa, along with him."But if you look closely at the illustrations, you see this little spider in every other picture," Poling said. The spider keeps busy, "cleaning, watering the plants, knitting something."Bear is completely oblivious to his houseguest — until he isn't. Suddenly, "Bear realizes they have a spider problem."What comes next is a sweet lesson in friendship, about "how you can be different — and yet still be friends." Plus, Poling added, "the spider's probably the cutest spider you've ever seen."Poling recommends the book for those aged 3 to 7; "Bear's Scare" was a crowd favorite at Red Balloon's story time this week. Bear's ScareBear's Scare