REVIEW: Where Bjorn Belongs

Where Bjorn Belongs is a children’s picture book that’s become a firm favourite in our house since 2022, and we still reach for it every Christmas. It’s one of those rare finds that deserves more attention, a story that takes young readers from busy, crowded city streets at Christmas to the quiet, vast Arctic a year later. If you’re looking for a festive book that’s a bit different from the usual Christmas fare, this one’s worth considering.

We were sent a copy of Where Bjorn Belongs back when it first came out, in return for sharing our honest thoughts. The kids loved it then and still do now, so read on to see why we think this should be on your radar for your child’s book collection.

The Storyline of Where Bjorn Belongs

Where Bjorn Belongs follows Arthur, an autistic boy who loves everything about the Arctic. During the overwhelming chaos of Christmas, with all its noise, flashing lights and crowded streets, Arthur loses his beloved polar bear toy. This toy was his comfort, his safe thing, so losing it was devastating.

Arthur asks Santa for a new polar bear and promises to look after it properly this time. On Christmas morning, he wakes to find a real polar bear in his back garden. He names him Bjorn (which means bear in countries with lots of snow).

As time passes, Arthur and Bjorn grow closer, but Bjorn also grows bigger. Eventually, Arthur realises it’s no longer fair or practical for Bjorn to live with him. As heartbreaking as it is, he knows Bjorn needs to be back in the Arctic where he belongs, free to roam in the cold weather that makes him happy. One Christmas Eve, Arthur leaves Bjorn with a note asking Santa to safely return him to the North Pole.

Santa does take Bjorn back to the Arctic, but he also shows Arthur how to visit by following the Northern Lights. When Arthur grows up, he does exactly that, visiting Bjorn every year. He becomes a real Arctic explorer, helping polar bears threatened by melting ice, and finds where he belongs too.

The Illustrations in Where Bjorn Belongs

Where Bjorn Belongs children’s book is illustrated by Mirna Imamovic, a freelance illustrator living in Bosnia.

Each page of this book is filled with dreamy images, with a calmer colour pallet we think the illustrations visually really help to tell the story. The kids thought that the pictures were pretty and wintery, but interestingly they did notice how on the pages where it talks about how Arthur didn’t like how it was too busy the pictures were darker and felt a lot more crowded.

Some of the pages the kids specifically talked about included where Arthur dreamt of snowy owls, husky-sledging and white foxes, they liked all the cold weather animals.

Also the images when Arthur finds a real polar bear in his garden, as they thought the polar bear looked cute with its rosy cheeks and looked happy to find a friend to play with.

Plus the pages which showed how Arthur kept the polar bear cool as it grows is size through the season. Sleeping on a bed of frozen peas gave them the giggles as did sitting in a chest freezer.

The kids loved the colours on the pages where Santa takes Arthur to reunite with his polar bear friend, they thought it looked pretty and loved how Santa took him there, they thought it was a great present to Arthur.

And finally they liked the end image, noticing how Arthur managed to live his dream of becoming a real life artic explorer and they loved that also meant he could visit his polar bear friend every year.

About the Author of Where Bjorn Belongs

Where Bjorn Belongs is written by Samuel Langley-Swain who is an adoptive Dad from a two-dad family. He is author of fifteen picture books including What Wesley Wore, Storm in a Jar and The Blanket Bears for which he drew on his own experiences of being an adoptive father.

Sam’s world changed in 2014 when he became a Dad and it had never crossed his mind to write books before, however as a new dad, he was dramatically inspired by his children and the new universe he’d entered into and after taking his books around schools and family events, it became important to him to be able to create positive change for children through stories.

Sam’s books are all inspired by the challenge’s children face and he cleverly takes these big issues and delivers them in his books in a way that small readers can digest and discuss these issues with friends and families.  Sam has personally found his writing journey a truly life changing experience and wishes that his stories can bring joy and strength to the children who need it most.

Would we Recommend Where Bjorn Belongs

We read this book with a lot of children and they all got wrapped up in the emotion of Arthur losing his polar bear and finding a real life one and then having to say goodbye to him also.

Its sad in parts and heart warming in others. The story indirectly nods to the fact that Arthur has autism, but the kids understood that the story is as much about Arthur finding where he belongs than it is about Bjorn travelling back to where he belongs.

We all loved this wintery Christmas tale about friendship and following your dream, as being you and where you should be, makes everything prefect, even if some emotional and not so fun decisions along the way have to happen.

All the kids were taken by this story and we can totally see it being one that’s re read over and over, especially around Christmas time. We think families will love it too and can see this being a huge hit as part of your little ones Christmas eve box or as a pressie around the Christmas tree.

We would highly recommend this book to families, if you wish to check it out you can get your very own copy of Where Bjorn Belongs on Amazon