NOT THIS BEAR

When given the space and time he needs to acclimate, a young bear learns to love all the new things about school.

Bear is reluctant about his first day of school, especially since so many things are new and different from the way he usually does them. “Not this bear” is his refrain, as he’s his own bear. Everyone else may have hung their jackets in the closet and donned smocks for painting, but “not this bear”; his jacket-cum–security blanket is soon forgotten in the fun of painting, however. Though “All the bears like to sit on a mat to listen to a story,” Bear feels that a lap is the best place for a tale. He makes do, though, by choosing a mat and finding a stuffed bunny to sit in his lap. Similarly, he enjoys snack time (though Mama makes the best snacks), plays, and finds a friend on the playground. And when Mr. Brown asks, “Are you ready to go home, Bear?” readers will chime right in with his response and might even look forward to their own first days of school. Hussey’s watercolor illustrations capture all Bear’s feelings as he goes from anxiety to confidence and enjoyment, the tilt of his ears and his inward-pointing toes speaking volumes.

A reassuring book to share with just about any set-in-his-ways child.