ALA Booklist

Bears and Hare's game of hide-and-seek provides plenty of opportunities for readers to play along. When Bear hides, Hare counts. The numbers 1 10, presented in bold watercolor strokes, dance across a two-page spread. Bear is large, so Hare and readers laugh at his insufficient hiding locations. The players switch, but Bear has a lot of trouble finding Hare. The search takes so long that Bear decides to take a nap under a blanket, thereby hiding himself quite well by accident. When Hare becomes worried about not finding Bear, children will be pleased that they know the answer and inevitably will want to shout out helpful directions to Hare. Expressive artwork, rendered in pencil, watercolor, and wax crayons, emphasizes unique qualities about each character. The strokes are light and fluffy-looking for Hare, while darker colors and thicker lines suggest Bear's heavier presence. Uncluttered white backgrounds allow children to follow the action easily. Although not a board book, the story is printed on thick, sturdy pages to help it stand up to repeated readings.

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

In their third book, Bear and Hare play hide-and-seek. Expressive pencil, watercolor, and wax-crayon illustrations of Bear in woefully inadequate hiding spots will tickle storytime audiences, as will those of Bear searching for Hare in a teapot, under a rug, etc.; a small drama adds just enough tension. Gravett's pacing of both the minimal text and amiable art makes this a satisfying read-aloud.

School Library Journal (Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

PreS-K The friends from Bear & Hare Go Fishing and Bear & Hare: Snow! (both S. & S., 2015) are back, this time in a domestic setting, playing hide-and-seek in the house. Bear takes a turn hiding but isn't very good at it, so Hare hides while Bear seeks. Bear isn't very good at seeking, either. While looking for Hare under a blanket, Bear crawls into bed and falls asleep. Tired of waiting to be found, the frantic Hare tries to find Bear but fails to look under the blanket. Frustrated, Hare bellows, "I WANT BEAR!" and is reunited with his ursine companion. As in other "Bear & Hare" adventures, the text is spare and simple, making Gravett's winsome illustrations in pencil, watercolors, and wax crayon stand out on the ample white backgrounds. Bear and Hare's colorfully painted countdown numbers one through 10 dance across the spreads. In characteristic Gravett fashion, there's plenty of quiet humor in the expressive pictures, such as Bear trying to hide behind a lamp or looking for Hare in a teapot. VERDICT A sweet story for the youngest readers, who will relate to the joys and frustrations of hide-and-seek. Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY