Winter Lullaby

PreS-Gr 2–The world is growing grayer and chillier as autumn heads into winter in the woods. Mama Bear wants her cub to head toward their den to prepare for the hibernation but Small Bear wants nothing to do with that. True to all small ones everywhere, he does not want a nap! He notices all the other animals scurrying around the forest, but Mama Bear assures him that they, too, are preparing for the long winter. All of them are seeking a safe, protected space where they will sleep through the winter. The rhyming text has a gentle pace that lulls readers as the bears head for their den. The illustrations reflect the changes from one season to the next. Fall colors dominate the first few pages but soon the snow begins to shape the landscape. By the time Mama and her cub arrive at their den, the trees and the forest floor are covered with snow and ice. Children will empathize with the cub’s one last look at the falling snow and the promise that the spring will return with all its glory before they, too, will succumb to rest.