PreS-Gr 3-Wilson has crafted a story that is just right for chilly winter nights. Snow is falling and Bear is sound asleep in his warm, dark cave. Trying to escape the weather, Mouse crawls inside and builds a fire. Seeing the crackling blaze, Hare hops in to share some popcorn and black tea. One by one, other woodland creatures join the impromptu party, each bringing a contribution. Through it all "-the bear snores on" until, finally, a small fleck of pepper makes him sneeze. Once he is awake, his gruff reaction to the merrymaking is not exactly welcoming, but he quickly comes around. The cadence of the narrative is infectious: "And they nibble and they munch with a/CHEW-/CHOMP-/CRUNCH!/But/the bear/snores on." The layout, with unusual breaks and oversized verbs, emphasizes the rhythm of the story. The characters are infused with warmth and humor. Though anthropomorphic, they retain their realism, due in part to the detail with which they are rendered. The warm, soft tones of these acrylic illustrations perfectly capture the coziness of Bear's lair and capture the action. The descriptive rhyming text, reminiscent of Bill Martin, Jr.'s Listen to the Rain (Holt, 1988), is perfect for reading aloud as well as for one-on-one sharing. Kids will ask for this book again and again.-Heather E. Miller, Homewood Public Library, AL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Snug in his cave, not even some visitors seeking shelter from the storm can wake Bear. Mouse arrives and builds a small fire to warm the chilly air. Hare arrives and they pop corn and brew tea, but even the slurping and burping doesn't bother Bear. Even when Badger passes out crunchy honey nuts and more guests begin arriving, "Bear snores on." By the time Gopher, Mole, Wren, and Raven arrive, it's a full-blown party. "And they nibble and they munch with a chew-chomp-crunch! But the bear snores on." Nothing seems to bother Bear, at least until an errant pepper flake from the stew tickles his nose. Sneezing awake, Bear is furious, but not because everyone is having a party in his cave, but because he has slept through it all. The other animals comfort Bear by insisting that the party is just beginning. Stories and food carry the party until dawn and as all the other animals snuggle in to sleep, only Bear is left awake unable to recapture his slumber. An icy blue palette illustrates the cold winter night, while the cave's interior is rendered in warm tones of reds and browns. The delightful illustrations on over-sized pages depicting the animals' party are the perfect accompaniment to the lyrical text. Little ones will snuggle into bed on a snowy night to hear this one. (Picture book. 3-6)

Ages 3-6. "In a cave in the woods, in his deep, dark lair, through the long, cold winter sleeps a great brown bear." To the rhythm of such fetching verses, a tiny mouse seeks shelter in a bear's snug cave. A hare soon follows, and the two quietly pop corn and brew tea as "bear snores on." Then a badger arrives with crunchy nuts to share, followed by a gopher, a mole, a wren, and a raven. Bear's den is full and noisy (as indicated by the large, bold type), but bear still "snores on." Then a fleck of pepper for the stew mouse is seasoning makes Bear sneeze, and he awakens to the revelers in his cave. Happy for the company and the food they have prepared, he stays up all night telling stories. In the morning, it's Bear who is awake; everyone else is fast asleep and snoring. The comfy look of Bear's cave and the snappy rhythm of the text beckon youngsters into the story, and the expressively drawn, amusingly posed animal characters ensure repeated readings. --Ellen Mandel

The title also serves as the book's refrain: because he's hibernating, the fluffy, snoring Bear remains oblivious as Mouse, Hare, Badger, Mole, Wren and Raven seek refuge in his cave from the blowing snow and frigid temperatures. Working in soft-textured acrylics, Chapman (Happy and Honey) makes both the biting weather and the warm, womb-like shelter of Bear's cave palpable. The once bedraggled animals perk up considerably, and first-time author Wilson describes the ensuing high spirits with a musical flair: "They tweet and they titter./ They chat and they chitter./ But the bear snores on." There's a moment of tension when Bear unexpectedly wakes up and the uninvited guests wonder if they'll be evicted. But Wilson demonstrates how well she knows her audience: the bear only bemoans the fact that he slept through all the fun; the unwitting host proves that he may be the biggest party animal of all. Ages 3-7. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

In a cave in the woods, / in his deep, dark lair, / through the long, cold winter / sleeps a great brown bear. On a stormy night, while Bear snoozes soundly, Mouse and a few other forest animals congregate in Bear's den for shelter. Soon they're eating popcorn, drinking tea, and having a party while the bear snores on. The rhyming text is forced at times, but the vibrant acrylic paintings are engaging. From HORN BOOK Fall 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.