ONE SATURDAY EVENING

Following the logical progression after One Saturday Morning (1994), Baker and Duke create another collection of related chapters about the bear family, this time about their nightly routines. Each chapter is about one family member, starting with Mama and her Saturday evening bath and ending with Papa quietly reading his book. In between are little bears in the tub, on a lap and playing going-to-bed games. Short, declarative sentences, with plenty of repetitive phrases nestled into ample white space, recall the feel of the Little Bear books. Lively bears bound out of the illustration frames, and tired bears collapse on Mama and Papa’s shoulders, making this bear family seem human. Deft touches—like the face that baby Jack makes at being left in his crib or the circular portraits of the family member at the beginning of each chapter—make this a bedtime treat for parents and new readers alike. (Early reader. 5-8)