Chad Newsworthy and the News 3 crew from Bear Alert (2014) and Bears to the Rescue (2016) are back with a new scoop. This time, according to eyewitnesses, woodland, farm, and zoo animals have been carried off by a spaceship. Most of the story focuses on the television coverage, including brief interviews with experts and involved individuals. A couple of quick glimpses of the bewildered captives are inserted between clips. After a day of much brouhaha, the spaceship reappears and the animals descend the lowered walkway carrying party accoutrements. Chad declares, "We are not the only party animals in the universe!" and all is well. Faux photos featured on the end pages show that the shindig was a seven-year-old alien's birthday party. The crisp computer-generated illustrations range from brightly colored television images to dark, atmospheric night and space scenes. Although the humans dominate the story, the adorable animals are the true stars e wishes there were more party scenes and less news coverage. No matter, it's on to the next news cycle.

The host of TV's Our Furry Planet broadcasts live from inside a hibernating bears' den. Chaos ensues when the bears set chase in the action-packed story told via breaking-news programming. Arresting digital illustrations convey the bears' escapades, including a foiled bank robbery. Humorous images and references to classic characters (e.g., Pooh and Paddington) abound.

In space, no one can hear you party.Punctuating his story with special news reports complete with crawl feeds, Biedrzycki returns to the form that served him so well in Bear Alert (2014) and Bears to the Rescue (2016). Here, our three bear heroes find themselves unexpectedly sucked into a UFO along with a strange assortment of wildlife as well as farm and zoo animals. The action then cuts between the experiences of the startled creatures and the frenzied Channel 3 News reports for the people back on Earth. When at last the aliens land and discharge their guests, it becomes clear that these space denizens are more akin to Close Encounters of the Third Kind folks than Independence Day meanies: All the disembarking creatures sport goody bags from a birthday party that was truly out of this world (as memorialized on the rear endpapers). Rather surprisingly, the TV-news format feels fresh as ever, and Biedrzycki knows how to use its storytelling tropes to the book's best advantage. His Adobe Photoshop illustrations keep the action hopping and include such contemporary touches as smartphones and chyrons even as old-fashioned test patterns and a predigital TV (with cable box atop) make an occasional appearance.Considering the real-world 24-hour news cycle, these ursine antics amid the stars make for oddly comforting reading. (Picture book. 4-7)

K-Gr 2 Better suited to individual reading than storytime, this picture book is loaded with comedic touches that make poring over the pages a lot of fun. The text is minimal, only appearing as the recognizable ticker that runs at the bottom of the television screen during cable news programming or in speech balloons over the heads of citizens being interviewed by reporters. The lack of a fully written narrative requires readers to really delve into the art to glean clues to the story line, a wonderful means for deep engagement. Two bears wake from their winter slumber and decide to take a field trip to civilization, having a ball while townsfolk run this way and that in alarm. The illustrations are big, bold, and delightfully busy. As the bears enjoy their outing, a secondary situation develops involving two thieves and a charming feline sidekick. The criminals and critters cross paths in the end, and the wayward bears are feted as heroes for actions that only coincidentally save the day. Kids will love the goofy grown-ups, round-bellied bears, and tiny jokeslike a diner sign advertising porridge "too hot, too cold, or just right"embedded in the artwork, and they'll enjoy putting together all the rib-tickling pieces of the story on their own.— Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR