• “I want to go ice-fishing” said Bear.
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, ice-fishing and playing ice hockey in winter illustration
    “Remember when we drilled a hole in the ice last winter?” Bear asked.
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, starry sky and an owl in the forest
    On the first night the animals camped in a clearing in the forest.
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, Hedgehog, Mice, Fox and Bear crossing a river
    “North is across the river” Fox said.
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, forest animals looking at the happy campers
    “Don’t you worry”, Bear said. “I can growl if something disturbs us.
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, kayaking under the Full Moon
    Bear was excited. “It’s getting colder! We must be really close!”
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, the animals found a shortcut but fell in a cave
    The animals all tumbled down into Hedgehog’s home.
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, the animals picking mushrooms in a fall forest when a Rabbit appears
    Suddenly a Rabbit appeared. “Hello! Can I join you?” she asked.
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, the animals walking in a dark cave with flashlights
    “Can I come North with you so that I can get my winter sleep? asked Hedgehog.
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, the animals ski under the Northern Lights
    They got on skis and traveled under the beautiful Northern Lights.
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, party with the forest animals and a Seal
    Bear drilled a hole through the ice. ”Surprise!”
  • Bear and Fox picture book illustration, seal's nest and a seal baby
    “A Newborn Seal! It’s time for another party!”

Bear and Fox: The Northern Trail

A beautiful picture book about forest animals searching for winter

Bear and Fox: The Northern Trail tells the story of two forest friends on a journey to find winter. The idea for the book began when I illustrated an article about species extinction for the University of Helsinki magazine. One of the illustrations focused on the endangered Saimaa ringed seal, which depends on snow to build its nest. Volunteers now help the seals by shovelling snow onto the nesting sites — and at one point, even relocating the animals to a lake in northern Lapland was discussed.

Around the same time, Helsingin Sanomat wrote about how bird species in Finland migrate northward by 1.6 km every year due to climate change. This inspired me to create a story about animals who work together, adapt, and support one another in changing conditions. At its heart, the book is about resilience, friendship, and hope.

Bear & Fox first appeared as a sticker book in Finnish in 2018. It was published as a picture book in 2019 in Finnish and Estonian, and in 2022 in Korean. The story has also been adapted into a Sámi-language ebook and a mobile game.

I hope you enjoy joining Bear, Fox, and their friends on their northern adventure.

— Ulla Sainio
Author & Illustrator

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For international publishing rights to the book, please contact Ferly – An Entertainment Company