TEN IN THE BED
by David Ellwand & illustrated by David Ellwand
Popular children’s songs are given a new twist as these lovable teddy bears follow the rhyming actions. Ten teddy bears are tucked into bed under a white blanket, “and the little one said, ‘Roll over! Roll over!’ ” The well-loved teddy bears, with threadbare paws, smashed noses, and gnawed-on ears, tumble across the pages as they struggle to roll over and make more room in the bed. Wriggly text, mimicking handwriting, describes the bears’ activity as they fall one by one out of bed. Finally, when there is only one more little bear in bed, “the little one said ‘I’m lonely!’ ” So all the bears climb back in bed to snuggle down for the night, inviting young readers to flip back to the first page to start the counting game again. Soft pastel and white backgrounds highlight the teddy bears antics. The oversized board-book format makes for easy lap reading and encourages tiny fingers to turn the pages by themselves. Fans of the bears will also want to look at Clap Your Hands: An Action Book (ISBN 1-929766-50-5), featuring the teddies as they act out another popular song. Irresistible furry fun. (Board book. 2-5)