The bear and the wildcat by Kazumi Yumoto

The bear and the wildcat by Kazumi Yumoto, illustrated by Komako Sakai, translated by Cathy Hirano. Gecko Press 2011.

A bear grieves deeply for his friend, a little bird. No one seems understand, and look at him oddly, as he carries a box with his friend in it, around with him. One day, after an indeterminate, but extended, time later, he meets a wildcat. The wildcat sympathises with the bear’s loss, and gives him the chance to build a new life. 

Verging on the allegorical, this is a subdued – in tone and illustration – look at grief and how all-consuming it can be.