GOING TO GRANDPA’S

A curious but effective blend of gentleness and energy give this book from the team that created Kiss It Better (not reviewed) the fillip it needs to catch and hold the attention of the very young. Big Bear and Little Bear are taking a train ride to Grandpa’s house. It doesn’t take long before the antsy Little Bear wants to know how long it’s going to take to get there. To stave off getting hit with the same question again and again and again, Big Bear makes Little Bear some lunch, then pulls out some crayons and coloring books, then reads her a story. Trouble is that when the trip is only half over, Big Bear’s bag of tricks is empty. Self-amusement is never a problem, though, when you can run around, so Little Bear makes speedy tracks up and down the aisle, gathering a little disapproval here and an element of surprise there, but mostly the smiles of the other passengers. Soon other young critters are joining in and time flies. Fortunately, in this instance, the train is filled with parents and children, so the failure of Big Bear to reign in the little speed demon is overlooked. A mellow tempo infuses what otherwise would be a nerve-fraying piece of travel madness, all warmly abetted by Joos’s watercolors. (Picture book. 2-4)