Little Jake and the Three Bears

by Robert H. Jacobs, Jr.

31 pages / 2007

After enduring a cold winter Little Jake realizes the solution to his chill is a thick warm bear rug to throw on his bed. So, after visiting the game warden and getting a license, Little Jake goes hunting.

The first bear he spots is too small, and the next, too big. But on his third day of hunting Little Jake finds the perfect bear and makes the perfect shot; it never feels a thing. The story concludes with Little Jake under his bearskin bed cover, warm and eating delicious bear sausage.

The pictures are Disneyesque and children 8 and under will enjoy this twist on the original. One caution worth mentioning is that Little Jake thanks the bear for his warm fur and tasty meat – too reminiscent for my liking of pagan religions that express kinship with the beasts. But parents can alter this and have Jake thank God instead.

It is an excellent teaching tool for citified believers, Christians who recognize that God has given us the animals for food and for clothing, but who still have some emotional qualms about hunting. That describes me. My head knows better, but I I've seen too many clips of Bambi to be able to appreciate hunting. So I want to teach my children to feel the right way about it. God, in his love, made animals tasty; children should know it is all right to kill and eat.

Buy Little Jake at www.littlesportsman.com.