Bears are curious, and so are kids! In this sweet Step into Reading, kids can follow a mother bear and her two cubs from winter hibernation to summer sun through an entire year. Kids will learn simple bear facts in this engaging, kid-friendly story that will appeal to even the youngest of animal lovers.

PreSchool-Grade 1-An easy-to-read description of different types of bears and their daily activities. Beginning with black bears, Milton explains how they hibernate and awaken hungry from their long, winter sleep. Using simple sentence structure and repetitive vocabulary, the author delineates the differences between brown bears and polar bears. Santoro's watercolor artwork consists of detailed action drawings. Some illustrations portray the tremendous size of the creatures and show them with snarling teeth, while others show their playfulness in a beehive or with a backyard birthday cake. Extra-large, 20-point typeface is perfect for "cub" readers. Diana Helmer's Brown Bears (Rosen, 1997) imparts much more information for those ready for the next level of competence. All in all, a satisfactory addition to nonfiction collections.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

Discusses different types of bears, focusing especially on the period when the mother comes out of hibernation with new cubs, describing how they hunt for food, what they eat, and how the mother protects her young.

length: (cm)22.8 　　　 　　　　　 　　　　　 width:(cm)15.3