LITTLE BEAR’S LITTLE BOAT

Another healthy serving of charm and life lesson from the dependable Bunting, this time concerning destiny by way of a rowboat. Little Bear has a love affair going with his rowboat. He pokes about the lake in it, fishes from it, dreams while draped across its thwarts, all amicably depicted in Carpenter’s dear, guileless pen-and-ink drawings. Then comes the day that Little Bear is little no longer and he swamps the boat with his bulk. His mother explains that “it is a little bear’s destiny to grow and grow till he is a BIG BEAR. It is a little boat’s destiny to stay the same size.” But Little Bear has the boat’s interests at heart, and some insight up his own sleeve: “It is a little boat’s destiny to keep sailing on a blue, blue lake.” So he sets out to find another little bear who will give the boat its due. The tradition continues, both for the little boat and for Bunting, who just goes on delivering classy tales of youthful metaphysics. (Picture book. 3-6)