Review by Booklist Review
As winter sets in, a momma bear and baby bear get ready for their long winter's sleep. Teckentrup's blocky, graphic illustrations, which appear to be a combination of cut-paper collage and digital renderings, gently reveal the autumnal forest and all the bears' forest friends. In preparation for their hibernation, the bears make their way around the woods, saying good night to the other woodland creatures, whose responses hint at their own wintertime behavior. I must hop into my burrow, says the rabbit, while the owl tut-tuts, you sleepyheads . . . lying on your bearskin, while we owls have to stay awake all night keeping the forest in order. The mother bear assures her cub that when they wake, spring will be here, and they fall asleep with a loving hug and kiss. This gentle story works well as both a lulling bedtime tale as well as a breezy exploration of hibernation habits. A closing note with additional facts about animal hibernation makes this a good choice for science-themed storytimes.--Miller, Annie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Little Bear and his mother are preparing their cave for a long winter's sleep, but before they settle in, they travel through the forest saying good night to all their friends: Badger, Mommy Fox and her cubs, Deer, Rabbit, the mice, Squirrel, Wolf, and even grumpy Owl. Finally, after snuggling together on a hill to watch the setting sun, they retire to their cozy nest of soft leaves. The flat, mixed-media illustrations vary from spreads depicting the forest habitat to charming vignettes of stylized animals nose-to-nose in farewell. Teckentrup evokes the colors of late autumn by rendering some bare trees, an evergreen in bright red, and the forest hills and floor in different golden hues. As the day wanes, the background transforms from light to ever-darker shades, lightened only temporarily by the disappearing sun. Baby Bear's desire for reassurance that his mother with remain with him always, and his requests for "one more hug" and "one more kiss" before he nods off are needs often experienced by little ones, making this a fine choice for bedtime. Teachers will find this story, along with the author's note that describes how each of the bears' animal friends spends the winter, helpful for sparking discussion about changing seasons, animal habits, and students' own winter activities.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
