Cartoon bear reaches toward a leaping fish in a rushing mountain stream with pine trees and clouds.

Smiling Bear by the Mountain Stream

A cheerful bear leans from a river rock as a big fish splashes up in the winding mountain stream.

🎨 How to color it

Color the bear honey brown, the leaping fish silver with teal fins, the pine trees forest green, and the river bright blue. The water has lots of curling splash lines, so use a sharp blue pencil to trace the swirls before filling the wider waves. Try making the fish scales alternate pale blue and shiny gray so it looks extra jumpy in the splash.

The story behind this coloring page

Bax Builds the Splash Bridge — Every morning, before the ravens yelled breakfast, Bax tried one new build beside the cold, noisy stream. Read the full story →

Every morning, before the ravens yelled breakfast, Bax tried one new build beside the cold, noisy stream. He had made a twig tower, a bark boat, and a mud ramp; this morning he slapped his paws together and said, “Pebble bridge by lunch!” He rolled flat stones into the shallows, thump, thunk, splash, until a wobbly path curved toward the far bank.

Until one day—this very day—the middle stone tipped and shot water straight up his nose. Because of that, Bax wedged a smooth log underneath it. Because of THAT, the current made a tiny jumping step, and a fat fish sprang over it like a silver rocket. Bax whooped so loudly the pines shook. Finally, he patted the last stone firm and crossed on his own paws, proud from ears to toes. If you follow the splashes, can you spot the fish testing Bax’s pebble bridge before lunch?