YOU CAN DO IT, SAM

A warm gesture of generosity has Sam and Mrs. Bear up before dawn, baking, wrapping, and delivering small cakes in red gift bags to the sleeping neighbors’ doors on their snowy street. Sam’s exuberant impatience in the kitchen—“Come on, cakes . . . I can’t wait . . . ”—is tempered by his shy demeanor when encouraged to walk alone from mom’s truck to each house with his savory treat: “Go, go, go! . . . You can do it, Sam.” The satisfaction of gift-giving inspires confidence in this preschooler and a sense of security that's ultimately rewarded at home with his own tasty snack of cake and cocoa. Bright, colorful acrylics paint a dual scene of a toasty home life against a frosty clear morning. Endearing characters add to the sweetness and fulfillment that younger children will identify with, making this third Sam and Mrs. Bear story quite a delicious morsel. (Picture book. 2-4)