MR. BEAR'S CHAIR

Mr. Bear calls Mrs. Bear to eat the delicious breakfast he has prepared, but she is barely seated when ""CRASH!"". . .her chair breaks to smithereens. She's cross, and he's sorry, but has a remedy: he spends the day constructing a new chair, from felling a dead hickory to weaving a cane seat; and by the time it's finished, Mrs. Bear has cooked his favorite dinner; but Mr. Bear is barely seated when ""CRASH!"". . . Besides symmetry and simplicity. Graham's book has three things going for it. For those small people who enjoy knowing just how things are made and who like to work wilt) their hands, it provides a clear, careful verbal and visual explanation of how to make one piece of furniture; Graham has worked as a cabinetmaker, and makes his presentation with authority. The bold, unpretentious illustrations are skillfully done: the slanting light of early morning glowing through an open door, the worried cat, the carefully selected domestic details, the expressions that speak volumes, the humor. And, last, Graham claims that this is a love story. This small drama of sharing the day's work with generosity, patience in the face of reversals, and humor is just that.