Sweater Weather by Matt Phelan (review)

The autumn colors are here and Papa Bear wants to take his cadre of cubs out to enjoy the crisp weather. Since sweaters are a must, he sends the group upstairs to get dressed, but soon he hears thuds and thumps from above, clear signs the little ones are doing anything but prepping to head outside. The chaos has only begun, though: several cubs don’t like the color of their sweaters; one has managed to tie the sleeves together with head firmly stuck inside; another needs to sneeze; and the littlest one is trailing along with a sweater that is quickly unraveling. By the time Papa Bear has them all ready to go, it’s nighttime. Thankfully, a shooting star makes the efforts worth it . . . but now it’s time to head back in and get into pajamas. Caretakers will ruefully recognize the helter-skelter lawlessness that marks nearly all attempts to get a group of kiddos ready to go somewhere, and youngsters too will recognize the mischievous mayhem that they most certainly enjoy more than their grownups. Phelan’s scribbly linework and fluid figures are perfect for the dynamic disarray; the contained opening scenes are anchored by Papa Bear’s oversized solid presence but soon are overtaken by the little cubs’ constant motion. The “Sweaters on!” refrain makes this a delight for a call and response storytime, so be sure to have it on hand as soon as the leaves start falling and sweater weather arrives.