Red Bear

Red Bear's simple, ungarnished pastimes roll out in vibrant colors. After a good morning stretch, he dresses himself (in blue, yellow and purple), feeds the black cat nuzzling his leg and heads for outdoor adventures involving a caterpillar, an ice cream cone, a balloon and an elephant ride. Prominent india ink outlines of rich oil pastel artwork create a whimsical elegance. Eleven colors strut the pages one by one and, at day's end, settle down in Red Bear's patchwork quilt--giving readers a helpful review. Each of Rikys's abstracted drawings are faced by a page saturated in a single color with its name printed--an instructive, effective, basic tool for color and word recognition. Ages 1-5. (Mar.)