Pete & Gabby

K-Gr 1—Pete and Gabby are two highly inquisitive bears. Sorry to see the campers leave for the season, they wander into the nearby town for adventure and sustenance. They attempt to join a children's soccer game and are taken aback when the youngsters run away frightened. Similar reactions occur when they encounter people in an ice-cream shop, post office, and fire department. In each place, they create havoc but have a grand time. Familiar with this disorderly duo, the forest ranger is called to the rescue, and Pete and Gabby are escorted in a fire truck back to the wilderness. People they had accosted during their spree cheer and wave as they leave. However, the bears decide to return another day to explore the schoolhouse because, as the ranger says, "Bears will be bears!" Kirkland's sketched and brightly colored illustrations are entertaining and full of mischief. These bears have all the curiosity of Curious George, and youngsters will enjoy the chaos they create in their innocence. This book is just the right choice for children ready for chapter books but still dependent on illustrations to support the text.—Diane Antezzo, Ridgefield Library, CT