BEAR IN A SQUARE
by Stella Blackstone & illustrated by Debbie Harter
Blackstone (see review, above) asks readers to “Find the bear in the square” in the first spread, where a bear waves a polka-dot scarf from the window of an apartment building. The simple look of the jewel-toned art evolves as the shapes become less basic; six more bears have joined the first by the time children are told to “Find the diamonds on the crown.” A strip on every spread has a pattern of repeated shapes—including “zigzag” and “moon” in crescent form, not as elemental as the others—to help the very young in the search. (Picture book. 2-4)