Bean is big enough to do lots of things, but giving up her blanket may be beyond her. When her family encourages her to do some things without her blanket, Bean hatches the “Keep Blankie Forever Plan.” She searches the forest for a place to hide it and keep it safe from her family and other forest animals. But her plan backfires: At bedtime, she can’t find her hollow-log hiding spot. Her family helps her through her first blanket-less night, and gradually, her attempts at finding the hollow log turn into adventures, and she forgets her Blankie . . . until she spies a baby fox cuddling it and realizes that’s the right place for it. Peopled with friendly woodland creatures and tender family scenes, Marlow’s pastel-colored illustrations will induce the calm needed for broaching this difficult topic with those children who are “big enough.” While Stewart’s tale is sweet, it fails to address the reasons why Bean should give up her blanket, other than her brother’s comment: “blankets are for babies.” A gentle tale for those struggling with giving up a loved object, but with some undertones parents should be aware of. (Picture book. 3-6)
