Sleepover with Beatrice and Bear

PreS-Gr 4—The author of Little Dog Lost (Penguin, 2012) has another winner here. When Bear sits on Beatrice's carrots while beehive watching, he doesn't make a very good first impression. However, despite a rocky beginning, the bear and the bunny become great friends sharing adventures all through the spring, summer, and fall. Then one day Beatrice can't find her pal, and Squirrel informs her that he's hibernating—a long winter sleep. Beatrice loves the idea and soon joins Bear. "Really? Bunnies hibernate too?" "Definitely!" said Beatrice. "Bunnies are GREAT hibernators." But as Bear drops off to sleep, poor Beatrice can only toss and turn. Finally giving up, she leaves the den declaring, "Winter is ruined!" But with the help of Squirrel, Beatrice puts her friendless time to good use, and when Bear awakens, she greets him with a scrapbook of the season. This wonderful book is filled with pictures, drawings, and notes that they can read together again and again. Carnesi's sweet illustrations perfectly capture the joys of friendship, the frustration at being left behind, and the satisfaction in making something for a friend. The spare text is an excellent complement to the lively illustrations, and the addition of speech balloons for Beatrice's big emotions really lets her perky personality shine. Sure to be a hit in every library.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH