PreS-K The set-in-his-ways star of A Visitor for Bear (Candlewick, 2012) is back. Bear is reluctant to try new things, so when Mouse insists they go to the library, he finds the whole idea "excessive" and "extravagant"after all, he has seven very nice books at home. He grows grumpier and grumpier as Mouse shows him books about rockets and entreats him to use his quiet voice, but when he hears the librarian reading at storytime, Bear falls under the library's spell. Denton's colorful watercolor, ink, and gouache illustrations perfectly capture the expressions of these mismatched best friends. Young readers wary of new experiences can count on Bear to lead the way. Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

Even though Bear loudly protests that his own seven books (three on monarchs, three on honeybees, and one on pickles) are enough, he allows his exuberant friend Mouse to drag him out of his comfort zone and into the local library. There he becomes entranced by the book read during storytime, The Very Brave Bear and the Treasure of Pickle Island. Finally, the beaming bear takes seven books home and reads his storytime favorite aloud to Mouse. Becker tells the story with economy, style, and wit, spicing the narrative with dialogue that reveals the characters' personalities as clearly as their body language does in the illustrations. Well composed and expressively drawn, Denton's fluid ink, watercolor, and gouache artwork contrasts the sizes and moods of the characters very effectively. Friends with very different personalities are a staple of picture books, but few duos are as dependably fresh and amusing as Mouse and Bear. A fine, funny addition to the Bear and Mouse series.

Reclusive Bear reluctantly accompanies extrovert Mouse on a library visit. Mouse's reminders about using one's "library voice" go unheeded, and Bear is hushed by another patron. He prepares to leave, but he's stopped in his huffy tracks when he overhears a librarian reading a story. The hooray-for-books message is served subtly. Bear's grouchiness and Mouse's joie de vivre come through in Denton's expressive lines.