A fall day for Bear

PreS-Gr 2--Bear and Mouse are an epic pair, sitting comfortably with other time-honored children's book friendships, like Frog and Toad. The two charming characters tenderly care about each other. Kids are sure to giggle as Bear tries to cheer up a deliciously dramatic Mouse, who refuses to find beauty in the grim fall weather. With simple sentences and short words, this fun story works as a read-aloud or to engage emerging readers. The endearing, droopy illustration style depicts Bear and Mouse with pointy noses and tiny eyes that sparkle with personality. Denton uses watery variations with the color, finds emotion in minimal lines, and seems to delight in depicting just how evocative the simplest forms can be. VERDICT A perfect rainy-day read showcasing the joys of solid friendship.

Bear tries to jump-start Mouse's happiness amid seasonal changes. Bear awaits the usual "tap tap tapping" on his door, signaling a visit from "small and gray and bright-eyed" Mouse. Today the two of them will be going on a picnic. When Mouse runs late, Bear decides, "I will wait five minutes and then…." Becker's sly text continues: "Bear didn't really know what would happen then, but he liked the grumbly sound of it." Worried, Bear sets out to meet Mouse. A fall wind blows away a pickle from Bear's picnic basket: Has Mouse met a similar fate? Bear soon finds Mouse slumped on a tree stump, sad because so many things--the birds, the flowers--are leaving now that autumn is here. Bear tries to rally his friend with picnic food, even halving the remaining pickle, to no avail. If readers haven't already been giggling at Mouse's melodramatic poses, they will laugh aloud when Bear pretends to be the Autumn Fairy and begins to dance. As rain falls, Bear starts to share Mouse's melancholy, vowing to head home and be sad by the fire. Denton's greatly entertaining art shows Bear enduring a spectacular tumble into the mud. Mouse tries to stifle a laugh, and Bear bellows, "IT'S NOT FUNNY" as the friends navigate the trickiness of schadenfreude. The latest in this series is expectedly warm (and dry). A cozy tale of pals weathering more than the weather.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.