MOMMY, DADDY, AND ME!

More than anything else, Little Bear likes playing with Mommy and Daddy.

As Little Bear stands among his toys sporting a cute red-and-white–striped shirt, readers learn that after playing with his toys, “he looks forward to playing with Mommy and Daddy… / …and Mommy and Daddy can’t wait to play with him!” And play they do. Daddy tickles his tummy, “picks him up high and lands him like a plane,” and comforts him when he’s upset. Mommy rubs his nose with hers. And Mommy and Daddy pass Little Bear between them like a ball. The action is helped along by appropriately placed, sturdy die cuts, gatefolds, and flaps. A half-page flap is used to show Little Bear going back and forth between Mommy and Daddy; a gatefold opens up to show that Daddy has just landed a joyful Little Bear. The members of Tharlet’s anthropomorphic bear family have warm, expressive faces, mostly white backgrounds keeping the focus centered on the characters. In this sweet book even Little Bear’s toys sport smiles. Young readers will easily recognize the simple interactions from their own families’ expressions of affection, and they’ll enjoy poking little fingers through the round die cuts.

As warm and fuzzy as a loving bear family can be.