WHAT THE GRIZZLY KNOWS

In this lyrical nighttime adventure aimed at the pre-K set, a boy holding his teddy bear falls asleep and begins to dream. What begins as a cuddly bedtime story, however, changes into a fantastical journey when the boy’s ted turns into a real grizzly, morphing, almost Incredible Hulk–style, into a huge animal with white claws the size of fingers: “Teddy growls as Teddy grows; / Teddy pops his button nose...” Strangely, all this growling and popping does not terrify the boy (though readers might find it a bit scary), and he quickly finds himself transformed as well. The two bears leave the bedroom and enter a mysterious woodland where they feast on bushes, fish in icy streams and explore the night wilderness in all their bear glory. Elliott’s spare, poetic writing creates a believably childlike dream world, and Grafe’s inky browns, blues and greens match the moody text perfectly. It’s so effective that it may well frighten some sensitive kids rather than lulling them to sleep; buy it for the more adventurous types. (Picture book. 4-6)