All right already! A snowy story

PreS-Gr 1-The stars of Goodnight Already!, Come Home Already!, and I Love You Already!, are back in this snowy adventure. Duck hurries to share the exciting news with his friend and neighbor, but Bear is nonplussed. He doesn't want to play freeze tag or build a fort. He doesn't want to make snow bears or go sledding. Forced participation in winter events leads to a gigantic bear sneeze. Duck insists that he care for his sick friend with blankets, soup, stories, and tea until an exasperated Bear orders him out. Then, Duck begins to cough and sniffle. Of course Duck expects his good friend Bear to take good care of him. Exuberant Duck wears a scarf and hat and always has his bill open with his next great idea. The dour Bear often wears unhappy expressions. Children will giggle at the characters' personality differences. VERDICT Purchase where the series is popular or for collections in need of new winter books.-Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Poor, beleaguered Bear must put up with his neighbor Duck's over-the-top excitement when it snows overnight. Those familiar with the Goodnight Already! series know that Bear and Duck have previously weathered differences in sleep patterns, activity choices, and some time apart. This time, Extrovert (with a capital E) Duck is thrilled to wake to new snowfall. The first thing Duck does is run to tell Bear, who is in the bath, and cajole him into enjoying the snow together. Introvert (with a capital I) Bear is interested only in drying off. But Duck won't be put off. "No" is Bear's answer to every activity suggestion Duck poses, but Duck insists on sledding and snow angels and a snowball fight. Hilariously, Bear is wearing only a yellow and orange polka-dot towel around his waist and a tiny shower cap atop his head; Duck didn't even let him dry off, which is why his sudden sneeze is no surprise. Duck's ministrations are the final straw for Bear: "Out! Now!" Duck's own sneeze leads to a subtle (not!) message for Bear begging for some TLC. Bear is almost a slapstick character in Davies' illustrations, and Duck is a whirlwind of energy. As in many recent introvert/extrovert books, it's the introvert who gives in to make the peace: Bear, still sick, comes and tends Duck, though unwillingly. Moreover, the joke simply feels old in this fourth iteration.Extroverts may appreciate the validation, but this series is losing its freshness for everyone else. (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.