Bear Counts

March 1, 2015
Having tackled one concept in Bear Sees Colors (2014), Bear and his charming woodland friends now address the numbers from one through five.Buddies Mouse and Bear start their day together, sharing breakfast and counting: "One sun floating high. / One giant dragonfly. / One robin on her nest. / Only ONE berry left!" These counting spreads begin with a page turn that will have kids yelling out the next number and end with more opportunities for them to participate: "Numbers, numbers everywhere. / Can you count along with Bear?" The friends soon run into Hare, who has two apples to share, and the friends and numbers increase up to five, a perfect amount for new counters. As in the previous book, the rhythms and rhymes are not always spot-on: "Bear cries, 'Look, it's Badger, / Mole, and Gopher by the shore! / Badger has his fishin' pole.' / And the bear counts...." (Confusingly, this spread introduces four, which rhymes with "shore" but doesn't match the number of friends met.) Chapman's acrylic illustrations offer lots of opportunities for children to count, and not just the items named in the text-look carefully for the tiny animals.Bear's fans may get practice counting the number of times they ask for this again. (Picture book. 2-5)

March 1, 2015

PreS-K-Following on the heels of Bear Sees Colors (S. & S., 2014), this concept book introduces the numbers from one to five. As Bear and Mouse's day unfolds, the friends have various encounters that allow Bear to count. A pattern of set-up and reveal is used throughout the book. "Bear hears funny sounds coming/from an aspen tree./ It is Raven, Owl, and Wren, /and the bear counts... [next page] "three!" Wilson's easy-to-read rhyming text is enhanced by Chapman's acrylic paint illustrations which feature bright colors, apt expressions, and perfect detail. The set-up page is a full spread with many grouped items of the number to be revealed-great for close inspection. The reveal page contains four of those items (with text) and plenty of white space between to make it easy to spot and count the items. VERDICT An enjoyable choice for group or individual use; purchase where Wilson's "Bear" titles are popular or additional counting books are needed.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2015
Preschool-K Bear and Mouse enjoy breakfast in a forest clearing while, all around them, they find things to count: One sun floating high. / One giant dragonfly . . . The list goes on, interspersed with the repeated refrain, Numbers, numbers everywhere. / Can you count along with bear? Young children will want to try, and since the number of countable objects rises slowly, many will succeed. Throughout the book, friendly, lightly anthropomorphized animals lark about together in trees, meadow, and pond. Each four-page section features a number from one to five, depicted in two double-page spreads. The first presents a broad scene that includes groups of creatures and objects representing the number, while the next isolates each group against a white background. Well designed for its purpose, this counting book offers a lively, rhyming text along with appealing acrylic paintings. A cheerful addition to Wilson's popular Bear series of picture books.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)