TWENTY BEARS

In this U.K. import, spring cleaning evokes laughs instead of groans.

Awakening from their slumber, 20 bright-eyed adult bears and cubs stretch, discard eye masks, brush their teeth, eat breakfast, and prepare to refresh their quarters: a cozy, cluttered suburban cottage. Simmonds counts each bear as everyone pitches in with cheery grins (“1 begins to sweep the floor / 2 decides to lend a paw,” “7 starts to paint the gate. / 8 arrives—DON’T TOUCH! TOO LATE!”). But as every task is tackled, small bears eager to help undo the bigger bears’ work. Luckily, the grown-ups have bear-size patience. A break for “tea and cake” restores cheer, but returning to work heightens the havoc until little Bear 20 decides to grab her hoop and head outside for playtime. Without further ado, “all the bears are in the sun— / lots of bears and lots of fun.” Dancing, singing, and savoring ice pops, they leave behind “one BIG MESS!” Simmonds’ rollicking verses recount the well-meant mischief, and a couple of Britishisms add charm. Brown’s lively line-and-color art brims with personality, differentiating each numbered bear (among them polar bears and pandas); their names are provided at the start. Super-large type supports reading as well as counting. The happy abandon is contagious: Clumsy mistakes are just hilarious here. And for extra fun, spot the spider-spectator on every page!

Bears by the score make clean-up no chore, but chaos galore. A grand time for all.