BEAR IN THE BARNYARD

The plush protagonist of Bear’s Dream (2000), illustrated by Morris but written by Janet Slingsby, returns, excited over the prospect of a visit to a real farm with his (never-seen) human companion. It’s not at all what he expects, though; the farm’s animals turn out not to be toys but great big creatures—friendly, but more focused on work than play. Creating a close-up, child’s-eye-level view of a busy farmyard, Morris depicts the increasingly untidy teddy, and the animals he encounters, in expertly done, subtly nuanced watercolors. Having tried, and failed, to perform various outdoorsy tasks, Bear cleans himself up, then, remembering something that he can do, makes his way back to the farmhouse’s bedroom, where his relieved bedmate can find him. Despite a text that’s a bit longer than usual in these days of short attention spans, here’s a tale just right for sharing with children getting ready for their own early ventures out into the wide world. (Picture book. 4-6)