Bear—large, looming, unfriendly, and self-sufficient, contrasts dramatically with mouse—tiny, unpresuming but determined, funny, and selfless. When Bear's hard shell begins to crack, we find great pleasure in witnessing friendship's rewarding blossom.

Bear—large, looming, unfriendly, and self-sufficient, contrasts dramatically with mouse—tiny, unpresuming but determined, funny, and selfless. When Bear's hard shell begins to crack, we find great pleasure in witnessing friendship's rewarding blossom.