A VERY CURIOUS BEAR
by Tony Mitton and illustrated by Paul Howard
Parents not eager to answer incessant “why” questions from their toddlers may wish to stay away from this existential tale about curiosity. A young bear wants to know, “Why do the daisies squeeze up from the grass?” Parent bear replies, “To drink in the light as the dreamy days pass.” “ ‘Why does the sky go all rumbly with thunder?’ / ‘To give us a shiver and fill us with wonder.’ ” The big bear has an endless supply of patience and is quite a poet to boot, ably answering the young one’s many questions. Howard’s illustrations are soft and consciously cute, gradually including a number of different animals as the bears make their progress. Although both bears remain genderless in the text, and the big bear sports no distinguishing characteristics beyond a benign smile, the small bear wears a red cape and brandishes a sword—an unfortunate if unstated association of masculinity with curiosity. The rhymes are effective and children certainly do ask “why”—it’s up to their parents how creative they might be in their own answers. (Picture book. 3-5)