I LOVE YOU JUST THE SAME

Wolf's debut work explores the idea of a mother's unconditional love—with mixed results. Little Bear tries to negotiate his new, springtime world with the same skill as his mother. But whether it's catching fish in a rushing stream or digging for roots in a shadowy forest, he always falls short. "The most important thing is that you tried your best," Mother Bear tells him each time. "I still love you just the same." After another year's hibernation, however, it's a very different story: Little Bear has now mastered the skills with which he'd struggled. "I'm so proud of you, Little Bear," she says, giving her son a nuzzle. "And even though you're not so little anymore, I still love you just the same." Little Bear is never seen wondering or asking if his mother's affection is in jeopardy, however, and the repetition of the title turns grating (it begins to sound as if Mother Bear may be trying to contain frustrations or anxieties of her own about her offspring's aptitude). Wolf's acrylic pictures are somewhat more successful. Although she never quite captures the bears' lumbering grace—the curves of their hulking bodies feel too broad and the proportions seem out of balance—she captures the steady simplicity of their black eyes and, with countless tiny brushstrokes, she makes it seem as though the sunlight is dancing on their chocolate brown fur. Ages 2-6. (Sept.)