The Winter Visitors

September 24, 2007
In a near-wordless offering, Hayes's (Time for the Fair
) finely detailed pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations cleverly unspool a playful spin on The Three Bears. As a family closes up its lakeside vacation house at the end of summer, the compositions foreshadow what's to come: the father straightens bear figurines on the mantel and places a copy of All About Bears
in the bookcase while the mother fills a large jar with honey. When they pack the car, the dad insists that his son take his oversized stuffed teddy back to his bedroom. The boy leaves the front door ajar, providing easy entry for the good-natured bear clan that immediately move in and make themselves at home. The two cubs jump on the bed with the stuffed bear, and the mama bear happily discovers the container of honey. In deep winter, the papa and a cub ice-fish (and, in a kid-pleasing turn, hook the boy's formerly missing baseball cap); all four bears go sledding in their hosts' canoe. Gaiety abounds as the bears welcome other woodland creatures to a festive New Year's Eve party, after which the revelers hibernate peacefully, awakening in time for the winter visitors to clean up (that baseball cap ends up on the boy's teddy). A progression of spreads laid out with multiple panels alternate with larger scenes, enlivening the presentation; and the more closely readers look, the more they'll find to like. Ages 4-8.

November 1, 2007
PreS-Gr 3-A family packs up and leaves their lakefront summer home in the woods, carefully covering furniture and straightening toys and books. As soon as their car is out of sight, another familyof bearsmoves in. The animals waste no time in making themselves at home, opening up a big jar of honey, sledding down a snow-covered hill in a canoe, and throwing a New Year's party with all of their woodland friends. In the spring, the bears neaten up and leave the house just in time for "the summer visitors" to return. Just five sentences of simple text, spread throughout the book, are a perfect accompaniment to the delightful pen-and-ink and watercolor artwork. Readers will enjoy the many fun and clever details as the story unfolds, particularly on the spreads with multiple panels. This little gem is perfect for independent reading or sharing with a small group."Amanda Moss, Maywood Elementary School, Monona, WI"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.