BEARS OF THE AIR

This is what a good bear should do: go for walks, take naps, catch fish, climb up and down trees. At least that's what it said in Grandfather's heavy, embossed leather volume of "Things a Good Bear Should Do." "Things a good bear should do are not much fun" argued his four young grandchildren, who proceeded to demonstrate that juggling, lassoing, somersaulting and fiddling are really much more useful arts. It takes some stretching to get to the proof, but then the audience shouldn't require much convincing. The brown on brown coloring of the illustrations is visually bland, but a second glance shows up some attractive details, like the Tiffany glass decorations in the bears' cozy cave.