"As brilliant January sunlight crept through the treetops, the leafless birches and aspens shivered in the intense cold, and it seemed that no creature could be alive in all those silent, snow-covered woods."

But a raven's sharp cry, echoing through the stillness of the Minnesota forest, startled birds and animals to sudden alertness. A black bear and her week-old twin cubs stirred drowsily in their hollow tree and then, in typical bear fashion, went back to sleep.

In April the bear family, wide awake now, came out of hiding, and the babies' long training for survival in the wild began in earnest. They had grown considerably and become strong and active from vigorous play while their mother slept. But it would be at least a year before she could leave them to take care of themselves, and three years altogether before they were fully grown.

Emil Liers takes us on a fascinating adventure—eventful, amusing, and completely authentic—through a year and a half of the cubs' experiences as they learn the rules of good bear behavior and become familiar with the ways of their forest neighbors—moose, deer, otters, foxes, coyotes, and other animals and birds.

This exciting story of a wise mother's devotion to the education of her cubs until they become independent is beautifully illustrated by Ray Sherrin, who, like the author, is a naturalist.

From the dust jacket