The Grizzly Bear Family Book 6-1

 The Grizzly Bear Family Book     6-1

    The Grizzly Bear Family Book is a nonfiction selection about grizzly bears in the Alaskan wilderness, especially in Denali National Park. The author and photographer, Michio Hoshino, spent a year in Alaska observing grizzly bears.
    The selection begins in winter, during which grizzlies are asleep in their dens and mother bears give birth to their cubs. In the spring, the bears wake up and leave their dens. Grizzlies are thinner at this time because they haven't eaten in months. As the weather gets warmer, the bears eat roots, grasses, ground squirrels, and other animals.
    During the summer, grizzlies fish in rivers and streams. They are skilled at catching fish and especially like salmon. Although they usually prefer being alone, bears come together when fishing. The stronger, or dominant, bears get the best fishing spots. Mothers bring their young cubs food. When the cubs turn two, they can fish by themselves. They learn how to catch fish by watching their mothers.
    In the fall, the grizzlies start eating enough food to get them through the winter. They fill up on berries, which are high in sugar. Sometimes, bears eat berries for twenty hours a day! They hardly stop to sleep.
    Then the daylight hours grow short and winter arrives again. The grizzly bears return to their dens and settle in for another long winter's sleep.