cover image Bear and Bunny Grow Tomatoes

Bear and Bunny Grow Tomatoes

Bruce Koscielniak. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, $8.99 (1pp) ISBN 978-0-679-83687-2

Aesop would surely smile upon this close cousin of ``The Grasshopper and the Ant.'' Bear and Bunny are neighbors with an interest in gardening--each, in fact, ``decided to grow tomatoes.'' Bear carefully prepares the earth before planting; the carefree Bunny simply casts his seeds to the wind. Summer finds Bear in constant attendance on his crop, while Bunny frivols away his time in true dumb-bunny fashion. Harvest time, predictably, is less than prosperous for Bunny--``I know my tomatoes are here somewhere,'' he mutters amidst window-high weeds. Bear's labors, on the other hand, produce a staggering crop; he gives some to his neighbor (``Maybe you can use a few extra'') and both creatures are content. Far from being a tiresome exercise in preparedness, Koscielniak imbues his story with touches of gentle humor that make the characters and their goofy antics quite irresistible. Whimsical pen and watercolor drawings round out this engaging new twist on an old theme. Ages 3-7. (Apr.)