The Bear's Surprise

PreS-Gr 2—Words are barely (bearly?) necessary when the illustrations are so entrancing. Baby Bear awakes on a Spring day and finds Papa missing. He sets off searching for him through the forest, into a cave, through a set of pipes, and up to the entrance of a circus tent, where it turns out that Papa is performing high-flying feats of daring. Naturally, Baby Bear joins in and sails into the air only to land on Mama. And what's that Mama is holding in her lap? Welcome, Teeny Tiny Bear! The different landscapes provide varied arenas for Chaud's crowded pen-and-ink cartoons with the sort of amusing details that will endlessly occupy a certain type of three-year-old's attention. In this third installment of Baby Bear's adventures, the fun is enhanced by die-cuts in an assortment of shapes. Familiarity with the previous books is not essential, but it won't hurt, either.