Deborah Abbott (Booklist, Jan. 15, 1993 (Vol. 89, No. 10))
In his latest animal story, Murphy focuses his attention on the plight of the black bear in America. A hungry young bear flees from an alluring blackberry patch when an older male brutally stakes out the territory. Hoping to squelch his hunger pangs, the young bear ventures into civilization, attracted by the smells from garbage cans. The bear makes noise, waking a sleeping family. Before long, the bear is trapped in a backyard with a growling dog, surprised parents, their son with a camera, and the local police, who threaten to shoot the animal. Fright and survival instincts provide the bear with enough stamina and speed to escape into the woods, where he begins anew to search for food. Although this story is fiction, it is based on fact, according to the note and bibliography at the end. Greene's dark pastel drawings are extremely effective in showing the night scenes, with their shimmering cast of moonlight. Category: For the Young. 1993, Scholastic, $15.95. Gr. 1-4.