cover image Baby Bear Counts One

Baby Bear Counts One

Ashley Wolff. S&S/Beach Lane, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-4424-4158-3

Wolff follows Baby Bear Sees Blue with a counting-themed sequel built around tender mother-child exchanges. Winter is approaching, but Baby Bear still has curiosities that need to be satisfied, especially with so many strange noises around him. A “Whap! Whap! Whap!” signals three beavers “gathering twigs before winter comes” and “gobble” sounds belong to six gloriously feathered turkeys seen feasting on bunches of deep purple grapes. Wolff devotes two spreads to nearly every number, creating a leisurely pace and giving children and parents time to count the creatures while examining the many secondary details packed into each woodland scene. Ages 2–6. (Sept.)