Starred Review To Bear, in his first year, everything is new. He lives on a tiny island with a few trees, flowers, berries, and butterflies, and he dances with joy til he sees a leaf fall to the ground. He wonders, "Are you okay?" More leaves fall. "He tried to catch them and put them back on . . . but it was not the same." As he watches the leaves fall and blanket the ground, he grows sleepy, finds a cave-like hole, fills it with leaves, and burrows into it to sleep away the winter. In spring, he joyfully welcomes the tiny leaves unfolding on the trees. The narrative works seamlessly with the freewheeling, expressive artwork. Created with bamboo pen, the energetic, sensitive drawings are tinted with subtle shades of color. Just as Stein uses white space effectively in the art, he uses "white space" well in the spare, precise text, leaving some details for children to notice in the pictures alone, such as how the leaves have been stuck back on the trees by spearing them onto the living twigs. Teachers will find this picture book a natural for curriculum units on leaves or hibernation, and children will enjoy seeing fall anew through the eyes of a big-hearted character more innocent than themselves. Wonderfully simple and simply wonderful for sharing with children.

Stein's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Cowboy Ned and Andy) pen-and-ink illustrations conjure a place readers will wish they could visit, a tiny island that pokes up out of a bay. Drawn in mossy greens and golds, the island is home to a very young bear—so young that when the leaves start falling in the autumn, he's a little shocked: “He tried to catch them and put them back on... but it was not the same.” The bear doesn't despair; he grows sleepy, goes off to hibernate and wakes in the spring. This set of events is depicted in a series of panels trained on the entrance to the bear's den; the single tree above it loses its leaves, is blanketed by snow, and receives visits first by a rabbit and then by a pair of cardinals.) Eventually the bear sticks his head back out to greet the spring sunshine and spies the tiny buds on the trees. “ 'Welcome!' he cried. And, he thought, the leaves welcomed him.” Many things contribute to the success of Stein's tale: the joyously colored panels that hang on the pages like paintings—more intimate, somehow, than double-page spreads—the island's eight trees and their leaves, which seem lively and animate and entirely worthy of friendship; the innocence of the bear; and Stein's willingness to let the story assume its own haiku-like shape. His autumnal pictures seem to glow, while the bear himself has the irresistible appeal of a well-loved toy. All ages. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Aug.)

PreS-Gr 2-Simple, declarative sentences and expressive small-scale pictures blend beautifully in this sweet story about a young bear experiencing his first full cycle of seasons. Bamboo pen and earth-toned watercolors are used to great effect to depict the setting of a tiny island with a few trees. The serene scenes and streamlined story line reflect perfectly the gentle passage of time. The bear dances gracefully and happily as he picks flowers and absorbs the warmth of the sun: "Everything was going well." Then the first autumn leaf drops, and he asks it, "Are you okay?" As leaves continue to fall, he leaps around trying to catch them; he even tries to reattach them to the branches. When he becomes sleepy, he carries a bunch of leaves to a hole and uses them to cover the entrance while he hibernates. Snow falls and blankets the ground; a fox trots by and a white rabbit peeks over the hillside. As yellow tones return to the sky, birds scratch for food in the melting snow. The bear looks out of his warm den and, when he sees the new green buds on the trees, he jumps out crying, "Welcome!" This introspective little gem exudes joy.-Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

A young bear observing his first autumn is captivated by the leaves as they change color from golden to amber. His exuberance and wonder change to worry and consternation when he is unable to replace the first leaf and those that follow to the bare branches. Instinct overtakes him as he gathers a paw full of leaves, finds and fills a hole and burrows in for the winter. When he awakens the following spring, he observes, to his relief, that the leaves have returned to the branches. Seasonal change and animal behavior are simply and freshly conveyed through a young child's perspective with single-phrase captions and direct, vibrant watercolor illustrations. Bowed, listless branches echo little bear's down-turned curved shoulders and eyes as he gives up his battle to replace the fallen leaves. Stein does not tread on ground where others often do in over explaining a complex concept. He understands and honors the young, curious mind and allows readers to share the joy of a discovery in text and illustration. (Picture book. 3-6)