Bear & Hare—Snow!

PreS-Gr 2—Good friends Bear and Hare go outside one morning and discover something marvelous—it's snowing! Hare is visibly delighted, while Bear appears hesitant but willing to give snow activities a try. Hare is skilled in each activity—for example, making some lovely snow angels. Bear's much heavier frame, however, has sunk him too deep to make a typical angel. Hare happily builds a "snow hare," while Bear becomes the corresponding "snow bear" as a heavy-laden tree branch dumps its snow on him. Finally, Hare decides they will give sledding a go. After rocketing down a hill with his friend, Bear appears to finally start enjoying himself. Like many of Gravett's books, the simple, to-the-point text could be read to a toddler, but the understated humor (at the expense of poor Bear) will elicit giggles from early elementary schoolers. The statement "They made snow prints" is comedically undermined by the image of Bear, sunk waist-deep into the snow with a look of distinct uneasiness in his eyes. The illustrations are all of Hare, Bear, and essentially the same snowy backdrop, so the focus is squarely on the characters. The contrast between the pair's facial expressions is priceless, as Hare is just so pleased with every new activity.