To a tiny bear, it seems like the world is made for the "great big bears"-like his parents-who survey their domain from "great big chairs." The cub's older brother has it pretty good, too. No high chairs "with straps so/ tiny bears don't fall" for those of his brother's ilk: "middling bears" get to sit in "middling chairs," big enough to serve as pretend pirate ships (and if those middling bears take a tumble from the mast, they get right up again and "never cry"). But while tiny bears may get bossed around a lot and have yet to prepare for that rough-and-tumble life, they do have one advantage: they can "cuddle up/ to take a nap/ upon the chair/ that's Papa's lap." Yolen's (Soft House, reviewed below) empathetic rhyming text infuses the classic preschooler's complaint with touching eloquence; as always, she connects with young readers without pandering to them. Sweet (Carmine: A Little More Red) makes an ideal visual partner. Her mixed-media illustrations exude a sunny open-heartedness; the slightly naif style opts for emotional authenticity over realism, but Sweet also includes plenty of domestic details to create a bear household that is both a loving one and also a great setting for a play date. Above all, the pictures assure youngsters that no matter how they may rail against the injustices of being small, there are still many benefits. Ages 2-5. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Some bears sit / in great big chairs, / great big chairs / for great big bears."" A bear cub employs airtight minimal rhymes to hint at what's troubling him: it's not always fun being little. Lap-sitters will delight in the text's rhythms and in recognizing their wee, tumble- and mess-prone selves in Sweet's glorious mixed-media art. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS. Yolen has extended and amended her poem "Bears' Chairs" from The Three Bears Rhyme Book 0 (1987) to create the text of this appealing picture book. "Some bears sit / in great big chairs, / great big chairs / for great big bears," it begins. Not only is the sound of the verse satisfying, the tone is also pleasing, with well-chosen words expressing a small child's--OK, a small bear's--point of view. And that tone is reflected in the artwork, too. Fresh and bright, the large-scale pictures combine pencil, paint, and collage elements to illustrate the everyday activities of a likable little bear family at home while including a few fun-to-notice details. As an antidote to the many saccharine picture books composed of sweet, drippy lines repeatedly reaffirming parental affection, this one offers a pleasing story in which love for children--or cubs--is simply an integral part of daily life. A great choice for reading aloud. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2005 Booklist