Bedtime for Bear

PreS-K—Light on drama but handsomely illustrated, this tale of a bear's interrupted winter nap will nonetheless fit nicely into winter and hibernation themes. Bear is tucked up in bed when his raccoon friends begin playing noisily outside his window and beg him to come out. He declines grumpily, repeating, "It's bedtime for bears." However, he soon finds himself swept up in the fun of winter play. By day's end, it is the raccoons who are exhausted while Bear begs for one more trip down the snowy hill. The adventures are related through graphic-novel-style panels, with text alternating between straight narration and speech bubbles. Some story elements are conveyed through image alone, and adults will have to fill in the gaps for preschoolers who aren't yet able to discern the visual progression from one panel to the next. Yet with the right reader-supplied commentary, young listeners will find the sojourn in Bear's woods satisfying. As with his other work, Helquist's compositions are lovely, with just the right quirky details to catch viewers' attention—a pair of eyes peeking through the corner of Bear's window, the raccoon duo's jaunty striped cap and scarf, and Bear's oversize polka-dot nightshirt. Though awash in cool blue snow, the paintings somehow emanate a welcoming warmth. Readers will wish that they could snuggle into Bear's cozy tree house with its charming leaded glass windows. Offer this one to those in need of a winter's read-aloud before naptime.—Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI