Review by Booklist Review
This follow-up to Baby Bear Sees Blue (2012) finds Mama and her cub on the cusp of winter. Baby Bear is curious about the sounds he hears around him, asking Mama questions like Mama, who woke me? After each inquiry, a page turn reveals the source of the ruckus: woodland folk who are busy preparing for the upcoming season. A woodpecker hunts a beetle (1 woodpecker, Baby Bear counts), 2 squirrels gather nuts, 3 beavers (Whap! Whap! Whap!) find sticks, and so on. When Baby Bear gets to 10, it's snowflakes he is counting, and that means it's time for Mama and baby to hibernate. As with the first book, Wolff gently introduces the natural world and seasons to toddlers, who will find plenty to explore in the double-page spreads, as frogs leap into ponds, and birds perch in tree branches. The linoleum block illustrations, hand colored with watercolor, present fall in all its spectacular glory, and the warmth between Mama and her child shines through. Ideal for both one-on-one and group sharing.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wolff follows Baby Bear Sees Blue with a counting-themed sequel built around tender mother-child exchanges. Winter is approaching, but Baby Bear still has curiosities that need to be satisfied, especially with so many strange noises around him. A "Whap! Whap! Whap!" signals three beavers "gathering twigs before winter comes" and "gobble" sounds belong to six gloriously feathered turkeys seen feasting on bunches of deep purple grapes. Wolff devotes two spreads to nearly every number, creating a leisurely pace and giving children and parents time to count the creatures while examining the many secondary details packed into each woodland scene. Ages 2-6. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
The curious young bear from Baby Bear Sees Blue (rev. 3/12) is once again exploring his world with his mother, and in this multiple-concept book (counting/animal sounds/seasons) he learns that, in preparation for winter, woodpeckers hunt for beetles, squirrels gather acorns, deer and crows munch on sweet corn, etc. The structure is also the same as the first book: one double-page spread sets up Baby Bear's encounter ("BUZZZZZZZZZZZ! BUZZZZZZZZZZZ! BUZZZZZZZZZZZ! 'Who is mad at me, Mama?' asks Baby Bear. 'Those are the bees,' says Mama, 'storing up honey before winter comes'"). The following spread pauses for Baby Bear to savor the experience -- and, this time, count the number of featured creatures ("Baby Bear counts 7"). Wolff's art (hand-colored linoleum blocks) is glorious, capturing the withered cornstalks, brown leaves, and fallen apples of autumn while also conveying the busyness and vibrancy of the season. Very young children may find the counting aspect too difficult, as some animals are shown only partially (and one spread strays from the pattern by featuring two species to be counted), but slightly older or more sophisticated readers may relish the challenge. And the loving bond between Baby Bear and his mama is as secure and comforting as ever, with the cozy ending seeing the two curled up together in their den as the first snowflakes of winter fall, "too many to count." martha v. parravano (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The season's turned from summer to fall since Baby Bear learned about the colors in his world (Baby Bear Sees Blue, 2012). Now, as he and Mama observe many creatures getting ready for winter, he learns to count. In every way a lovely companion to the previous tale, this also stands well on its own. Baby Bear plies Mama with incessant questions--as preschoolers will do--and his patient parent answers and instructs. With each successive question and answer, the cub counts one more than before, from one to 10. As Mama forages for roots at the pond, Baby Bear asks, "Who is clapping for us, Mama?" "Those are the beavers," responds Mama, "gathering twigs before winter comes." A page turn reveals a trio of them, gnawing brush, swimming and slapping the water with an impressive, paddlelike tail. "Baby Bear counts 3." Wolff's lush watercolors illuminate black-inked linoleum prints. Her striking compositions play with perspective and depth of field, enabling children to enjoy bird's-eye views as one woodpecker and then nine geese fly high, then higher, above Baby Bear. When the cub sprawls among wildflowers counting seven bees, readers are eye to eye at ground level, amid fallen apples, snails and a fuzzy caterpillar. Brimming with visual treasures and ending with snowflakes--"too many to count"--this joyous treat will reward both family and group sharing. (Picture book. 2-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
