I’m so excited to celebrate the Sept. 10th release of BEAR’S BIG IDEA, from the same team that brought us BIG BEAR AND LITTLE FISH, Sandra Nickel & Illus, Il Sung Na (Carolrhoda Books).

You may remember meeting BIG BEAR AND LITTLE FISH on the blog here.

And…they are back with the sweetest sequel.

But don’t take my word for it…

“A winning tale of friendship and creativity unleashed.”

―Kirkus Reviews

Have you seen the adorable book trailer?

Here’s an IDEA: Let’s ask Sandra Nickel some QUESTIONS!

The Ideas behind BEAR’S BIG IDEA…

Q 1. I’m so glad to see Bear and Fish are back! How did this second book come about? Was it a request from your editor Carol Hinz, or did Bear and Fish bug you (nicely) with their BIG IDEA until you wrote it–?

Sandra Nickel: It was a combination of the two. When Bear and Fish first showed up, they didn’t just tell me how they met—the story we see in Big Bear and Little Fish—they also told me several other stories. I shared these with Carol at the verry beginning. Then, when Big Bear and Little Fish did so well, Carol asked if we could start working on the story about Bear’s idea. And voila, that’s how Bear’s Big Idea was born.

Q 2. No spoilers, but did you always know what Bear’s BIG IDEA would ultimately be?

Sandra Nickel: Actually, no. Bear’s idea went through all sorts of twists and turns. It wasn’t until I added Fish’s ideas at the opening of the story that I realized what Bear’s idea had to be.

Bear or Fish?

Q 3. What parts of this book are autobiographical? Are you more like Bear or Fish? Have you ever had a creatively adventurous friend or family member like Fish?

Sandra Nickel: I’m definitely Bear. I’m a bit of a worrier. I like to do things the same way I did them yesterday… and the day before … and the day before that. I even stumble over coming up with new ideas more than I would like to admit.

And then, there is my husband Andreas, who is 100% Fish:

• He’s upbeat.
• He’s always there for me.
• He’s adventuresome.
• AND, he’s always nudging me to try things in a new way—including sledding in summer, which is featured at the beginning of the story.

Did I have the same terrified expression that Bear has when she first tries summer sledding? Um… maybe.

Surprises & Takeaways

Q 4. What surprises did illustrator Il Sung Na bring to your second project together?

Sandra Nickel: Il Sung always sneaks in little details that add to our stories. In Bear’s Big Idea, he’s added a curious bird that follows Bear and Fish throughout their story.

Another great surprise was the way Il Sung captures the climax of the story. After Bear looks and looks for an idea, she finally opens her ears and listens for one. The scene Il Sung creates when the wind is whooshing, and the leaves are swooshing, and Bear hears something rushing toward her is just so incredibly beautiful.

Q 5. I know I have some takeaways from this sweet book. What about you? What have you learned from Bear and Fish?

Sandra Nickel: Bear and Fish taught me how similar friendship and ideas are. I’d never thought of them in a parallel way before. But Bear is absolutely right. The thing that good friends and ideas have in common is that they are always there, even if we can’t see them, waiting to surprise us and bring joy into our lives. 

Q 6. There are so many wonderful lines in this book. For example, “Just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there.” Do you have a favorite spread or line?

Sandra Nickel: I love that line too, that bit of wisdom that Fish offers to Bear. And I love the way Bear ponders that insight. “If she couldn’t see an idea, how could she find it?”

The look Il Sung puts on Bear’s face as she thinks about this is just so full of wonder and hope. We want to linger with her as she ponders. And then, of course, turn the page to see what she does!

BONUS–Teachers & Librarian friends!

Q 7. Are there Educational Guidelines or activities for BEAR’S BIG IDEA?

Sandra Nickel: Thank you so much for asking, Erin! There IS a curriculum guide. It’s got discussion questions, activity ideas, and three activity sheets to print out and use in the classroom. My favorite one is the Let’s Listen sheet, which invites students to take a listening walk, a little bit like Bear, and pay close attention to what they hear. You can find the full Curriculum Guide for BEAR’S BIG IDEA on the Resources Page of sandranickel.com.

What’s next?

Q 8. What projects are you working on now?

Sandra NIckel: Oooh, I’m super busy right now! I’m in a deep, deep rabbit hole, researching a new nonfiction book that I’m still keeping hush-hush.

At the same time, I’m doing marketing things for Seven, A Most Remarkable Pigeon (out with Candlewick on April 15, 2025), working on copyedits for Making Light Bloom: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps (out with Peachtree in summer 2025), and I’m in the middle of the editorial process for The True Ugly Duckling: How Hans Christian Andersen Became a Swan (out with Levine Querido late 2025/early 2026).

It’s an exciting time, and I can’t wait to share all of these books with you and your readers!

Wow! We can’t either. Congrats!

Thank you so much to Sandra and Bear and Fish, for joining us today.

Happy Book Birthday!

To learn more about Sandra Nickel and her books,

check out her web site:  sandranickel.com  

And follow her on social media:

Twitter: @senickel 

Insta: sandranickelbooks

FB: sandranickelauthor

LinkedIn: sandranickel

Next up on the blog: We chat with Sarah & Ian Hoffman about their latest picture book,

JACOB’S MISSING BOOK.

Illus. Chris Case / Magination Press