Baby Bear Counts One by Ashley Wolff (review)

Baby Bear and his Mama are in their den when—"Thockthockthockthockthock!"—they hear one woodpecker outside preparing for winter by collecting beetles. The pair goes out to investigate, and they encounter other sounds of animals getting ready for colder weather. With each new discovery, the number of critters discovered rises, until the snow starts to fall and Baby Bear counts ten snowflakes before curling up back in the den with his mother for a long winter's nap. The story progresses cozily in a pattern that quickly becomes recognizable to listeners: Baby Bear hears a noise, asks his mother who is producing it, and Mama explains which animal is preparing for snowfall; a page turn then reveals the busy preparers and Baby Bear's counting ("Baby Bear counts 6"). There's an occasional playful touch—four and five are combined, and some countable elements require serious investigation (the seven bees get a bit lost in the rich detail of the background field they're buzzing over, and one of the nine geese is only noticeable by its tail, for example). The linocut illustrations tinted with watercolor are strikingly realistic and lavish in their detailed, dramatic lining and rich, earthy coloring. The comfy, easy-to-follow text and vivid pictures will make this a snug bedtime story or a feel-good selection for an autumnal storytime.