A little brother to the bear, and other animal studies

"A Little Brother to the Bear" by William J. Long is a set of animal stories from the early 1900s. Long shares observations and drawings of different forest animals, especially the raccoon, whom he calls "Mooweesuk" or Little Brother to the Bear. He looks closely at how these animals act, what they are like, and how they relate to each other, attempting to show their smarts and feelings, not just their habits. The book starts by introducing a family of raccoons in the wild. Long tells how he watched the young raccoons come out of their home and play while their mother watched over them. His descriptions help readers feel connected to the forest as he writes about ideas like curiosity, living in the wild, and the strong connection between a mother and her young in the animal world. Long seems to want to share what he has seen and help people value the details of wildlife.