On all fours

Throughout a lively picture book, Dorémus (My Baby Crocodile) captures simple miracles of moving the body and exploring the world. Observational text--"On all fours, here I am on Earth"--accompanies saturated spreads of an ambling blue bear cub. The bear's exploration encompasses two paws coming off the sun-warmed ground ("Hot, hot, hot!"), as well as four paws "dancing over little stones" and "feeling the tickly grass." Texturally rich spreads attend to splashing water, sloppy mud, and slippery slides as the cub meets the small mishaps that befall new navigators. Just when the cub, having reached "the edge of the world," needs attention most, a large, comforting caregiver appears, and the cub finds a new way to move back across what initially seemed quite the distance, using "two legs for crossing the meadow. And two arms for giving a great, big hug." Masses of color, fine lines, and comforting words capture an era of young life when commonplace experiences are new. Ages 3--5. (Jan.)

A toddler bear takes a tactile journey in this translation of a French title. The youngster has finely textured turquoise fur and sports a yellow striped shirt; one wide eye is circled in red. After the cub ambles out of the domestic realm, signified by a pile of toys, an unseen narrator describes everything the youngster encounters. Each sentence begins with the same phrase: "Four paws for dancing over little stones. Four paws for feeling the tickly grass." Red text denotes sounds or heightened emotion, as when the bear stumbles into thistles ("Ouch!") or slips in the mud ("Swoosh!"). The compositions provide a rich aesthetic experience with gorgeous multihued backgrounds that change to reflect the mood and the little one's body language. The scenes brim with delightful details, such as a crimson spider that reacts to each situation. The close-up perspective comes to a climax as the bear stands fearfully on a snow-capped peak at "the edge of the world." Then the view pans out to show the relatively short distance the youngster has traversed--and an adult with outstretched arms on the other side. The cub runs (on two legs) and wraps two arms around the caregiver, doing what bears do best. Dorémus' luscious, emotive illustrations will inspire frequent readings. The spare, repetitive narration lends itself well to memorization; be prepared for little ones to shout out their favorite lines. Youngsters will relish the ride from exploration to reunion.(Picture book. 2-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.