1. Bears
2. Book design
3. Design
4. Fairy tales
5. Humour
6. Literary techniques
7. Metafiction
8. Poetry
9. Visual literacy

Appearances can be deceiving. At first ‘No Bears’ appears to be a simple fairy story. Here’s Ruby, our first person narrator: ‘Hi! I’m Ruby and this is my book’. She is determined that only fairies, princesses and maybe a monster or giant can be in her story.

‘No Bears’ is a metafictional story, in itself a highly sophisticated form of storytelling. Metafiction can be defined as fiction that deals, playfully and self-referentially, with conventions of writing and here, illustrating. In ‘No Bears’ viewers will spot a range of familiar characters from children’s literature such as the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, three little pigs, the gingerbread man and others. These extra story layers expand this story about a wilful, young girl determined that there shall be NO BEARS! in the story she creates.

Leila Rudge’s illustrations are the perfect accompaniment. Befitting this ‘story within a story’, Rudge creates a ring binder notebook situated across the book’s gutter while around the edges, other stories are being told. Humour abounds in the character of the inept fairy who loses her wand which is put to good use by the bear who is not supposed to be there. With each page turn, the story in the spiral binding is overseen by the disallowed bear, clearly there and taking the story in a different direction.

The climax of the story features an action-packed double page spread with clever rhythm and rhyme: ‘UP! went the princess into the air. CRASH! went the monster down the stairs. DOWN! came the princess safe in the tree. SPLASH! went the monster into the sea.’ Ruby arranges a party to celebrate the fairy godmother as the guest of honour. Did the fairy godmother save the princess? Ruby thinks so and brags about this being a ‘pretty good book’. The party goers however acknowledge the bear who all along has controlled the story and is the true hero. Really, there was a bear and everyone listening and looking at this story knows this—except for Ruby!

1. Reading 13 Apr 2020 by Em Kat of ‘No Bears’ by Meg McKinlay and Leila Rudge, YouTube reading and questions for consideration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCTX0oAxWLw
2. The Edvocate 7 Aug 2022 Matthew Lawrence on ‘Metafiction in Children’s Books’ explains the concept and provides an annotated list of well-known children’s books including Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s Treehouse Series https://www.theedadvocate.org/metafiction-in-childrens-books/
3. Books4yourkids 21 May 2012 review by Tanya Turek of ‘No Bears’ by Meg McKinlay and Leila Rudge https://www.books4yourkids.com/2012/05/no-bears-by-meg-mckinlay-with.html
4. Kirkus Reviews 5 Feb 2012 of ‘No Bears’ by Meg McKinlay and Leila Rudge https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/meg-mckinlay/no-bears/
5. Meg McKinlay’s website https://megmckinlay.com/about/
6. Leila Rudge’s website http://www.leilarudge.com/
7. Scribblers Festival, Artist Interview: Meg McKinlay https://www.scribblersfestival.com.au/blog/artist-interview-meg-mckinlay
8. Oz Lit Teacher 1 Aug 2021 interview with Meg McKinlay by Narissa Leung. ‘Writers and Their Notebooks’ Part 1 of a 2 part interview with Meg McKinlay https://www.ozlitteacher.com.au/2021/08/01/writers-and-their-notebooks-meg-mckinlay/
9. Books for Little Hands 22 Nov 2011 interview by Renee Cross with Meg McKinlay. ‘Picture Books and Writing for Children’ http://booksforlittlehands.blogspot.com/2011/11/interview-with-award-winning-author-meg.html