BEARS IN THE SNOW

The same four bears who puzzled out an issue with chairs (Bears on Chairs, 2009, etc.) again face the problem of where to fit four bear bottoms.

On a winter day, each of the four bears—Floppy, Fuzzy, Calico, and Yellow—pulls on a different article of winter clothing and dashes outside to play, beckoning Big Brown Bear to come too. But though the bears are small, only two of their tushies can fit on the lone red sled at a time, and it’s very hard to wait for a turn: slanted eyebrows, downturned faces, and sloping shoulders show just how hard. What if they squeeze in close? Can four fit then? Nope. In a departure from the problem-solving the little bears showed in their first outing, Big Brown Bear comes up with the solution after they have tried only the one idea. He plops down in the snow on his belly and invites them all to climb aboard. “They shriek with joy. / That hill is steep. / They land at the bottom / in a laughing heap.” Cozy mugs of hot chocolate shared together end their day. Walker’s acrylic illustrations feature soft colors against simple backgrounds, playing up the action and the characters’ emotions.

Adults: get ready for your children to ask you to lie facedown in the snow at the top of a hill.