Readers who enjoyed Degen's book Jamberry will most likely appreciate this one too, written by first-time author Carlstrom. It's illustrated with the same bright colors and sweet style that characterized Jamberry, and is written in similar breezy rhymes. The book follows a young bear through a day as he playfully """"wears'' not only his shirt and pants, but also the sun on his legs, sand on his arm, his mealtime chair, his bathwater and bubbles, and finally, ``Sleep in my eyes/And stars in the skies/Moon on my bed/And dreams in my head/That's what I'll wear tonight.'' Ingenuous yet never coy, this is an appealing book to share with a young child. (25)

PreS-Gr 2 Jesse Bear, what will you wear? /What will you wear in the morning?'' wonders Jesse's mama. Throughout his day, Jesse proudly wears not only clothes (my pants that dance in the morning''), but the sun, his highchair (and, inevitably, his ``juice from a pear /and rice in my hair'') and the bubbles in his bathtub too. The rhymes, besides having a charming lilt to them, are clean and catchy and beg to be recited. The illustrations, watercolors with pen and ink, combine freshness of color with freshness of attitude, and the result is a cheery, uncluttered exuberance. Words and illustrations interplay beautifully, each enhancing the other's brightness. The youngest members of the audience will love following the day's progression from morning to noon to night and recognizing familiar activities from each time of day; all of this is laid out simply and with great appeal. The double-page spread of Jesse's father's return home from work actually beams, seeming larger than the size of the pages. There's much for a child to recognize in this book: not just physical objects but attitudes, habits and relationships, too. Jesse Bear celebrates, and does more than justice to, youngsters' joy, pride and comfort in their own independence as they try on their own familiar environment and find that it fits. Liza Bliss, Central New England College, Worcester, Mass.