Forage Like A Bear

by Chris Fink, John Porcellino (Illustrator)

Chris Fink’s collection of short prose, Forage Like a Bear, contains a whole lot: whistling acorns, scribbling clams, gossipy geese, technicolor ducks, turkeys (including human ones), roving bands of chipmunks, chimneys, fires, chainsaws, lice, thin ice, approximately 30,000 blueberries, cars rolling uphill, the leaves of a mulberry tree drifting down, Peace Trail meanders, and maybe just maybe, a holy grail morel.

And all related in Fink’s gently shimmed sentences, adapted from radio dispatches, and illustrated with the inky grace of John Porcellino.

88 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2025

Reviews

[aimilina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very special publication. I feel very fortunate to have stumbled upon it and was left in an awed state after most little story entries. I am grateful to the author, publishers and all those involved and hope to continue reading little masterpieces like this one from small independent publishers and bookshops 📚 📖 🤓

[Tyler McGaughey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a Midwestern Nicholson Baker. A perfect marriage between the laconic generosity of Chris Fink's prose and the vibrating minimalism of John Porcellino's drawings. They both say so much using so few lines. The first piece in here - "Chooch" - is one of the best things I have ever read in my life.

[CHAD HADEN · Rating 5 out of 5]

a peaceful lovely little read

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The shortest little essays about nature and life. They're perfect for reading just before bed - I tried to allow myself one per night so I could savor the book, and sometimes shared little bits with my husband. They don't have a laugh-out-loud humor so much; they're more smile-and-nod. My favorites were "Duck in a Tree" and "The Least."

Chris and I have been friends since college, and I was lucky to see both Chris and John speak and read at a library event recently. Do this if you get the chance!

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ponderings and observations about life in and around nature. Clear prose with a meditative feel. I enjoyed it.

[Hanna Gumółka]

simple but beautiful - as always with bored wolves, I loved it.

[Christoph Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short prose stories accompanied by minimalist drawings. I like it. I like the style of the drawings and I like how you can get lost in the stories. Fink does a great job here.

[Mira Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful minimalist book with lovely, poetic, short snippets of nature and life. And what better artist to embellish it other than the great John Porcellino... Loved it!

[Joseph Ernest · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this. i read some to some of the kids i teach and they wanted to go outside and write nature stories too.