Walker Snow Bears

In this story, Mummy Bear goes outside to look for her cubs in the snow, only to discover they've been replaced by snow bears. Martin Waddell has won many awards including the Smarties Book Prize - for 'Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?' and 'Farmer Duck'. Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal PreSchool-Young children will easily associate with the pretend game that three little bears play. When their mother comes outside, the snow-covered cubs tell her that they are "snow bears," and she asks where her babies are. "I don't know where we are," says the biggest one. "We aren't here, Mummy Bear," says the littlest one. So, she frolics with them instead. Eventually, the smallest one gets cold and they all go inside for hot toast, where their covering melts and they reveal that they were just pretending. The story is slight and not particularly original, but youngsters are likely to enjoy the repeated refrain about not having seen Mummy's bears, and the very predictability of the text is reassuring. The color illustrations are pleasant, with large, realistically drawn bears, making the fact that they live in a house rather than in a cave seem somewhat incongruous. However, their activities work equally well for bears or preschoolers, and the large, fuzzy creatures on the snowy background are appealing. This title does not live up to the caliber of the author's Owl Babies or Can't You Sleep Little Bear (both Candlewick, 1992), but the target audience is likely to find it engaging. Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Booklist PreS-Gr. 2. The author and the illustrator both indulge in a bit of feigned foolery in this cozy wintertime tale. A mother bear pretends not to recognize her three snow-covered cubs when she comes out to join their play, and they gleefully go along with the game. At last, at the littlest's request, the bears return home--not to a cave, but to a log cabin where they dry off before a fire and warm their bellies with toast. Waddell uses repetition to give the episode a comfortably predictable cast, and except for their slight smiles, the bears in snowy woodland scenes are drawn with shaggy, winning realism. Parental bears and their own little cubs will enjoy sharing this romp. John Peters Copyright å© American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.