PreS-Gr 1-A small, inquisitive cub is anxiously awaiting his first spring. After his mother falls asleep for the winter, Maurice goes out to look for spring, asking other woodland animals for help along the way. Mistaking snowflakes for spring, a satisfied little bear scoops some up into a snowball and then returns to hibernate. When he wakes up, the snowball has melted, but Maurice finally learns what spring really is. Berger writes with simple, rhythmic clarity as well as with an unaffected innocence, making for a charming read-aloud. Young children will relate to Maurice's eagerness, as they share a similar enthusiasm to learn about the world around them. Berger's collages, which include several striking spreads, are a creative blend of paper cut-outs. With Berger's gentle storytelling and warm, joyful art, this is a winning entry into spring-themed picture books. Pair it with Julia Rawlinson's Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms (Greenwillow, 2009) for a charming story hour about springtime mix-ups.-Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

As the forest grows cold and most bears start to think about hibernating, a little bear named Maurice can only think about experiencing his first spring. His mother tries to settle him down ("'Maybe you will dream about spring,' Mama whispered"), but soon she falls asleep, leaving Maurice wide awake. He decides to set out in search of spring; meanwhile, the autumnal landscape offers viewers plenty of pleasures of its own. Berger's three-dimensional collage illustrations are done in rich colors with interesting patterns and feature scraps of fabric, catalogues, typewritten letters, etc. Maurice's journey introduces him to many creatures preparing for winter while taking him farther and farther away from his sleeping mother. The variety of page layouts and perspectives help convey how small Maurice is, but he forges on, bold and determined. When he sees the first snowflakes fall, he thinks they might be spring, and the enthusiasm builds until a page turn reveals a breathtaking dark and snowy winter landscape. He scoops up some of the "spring" to take back home and snuggles in to sleep, but by the time the real spring arrives, his souvenir has melted, and none of the other animals believes his story. In order to convince them, he returns to the scene -- and while things have changed with the seasons, the beauty Maurice found is there for all to see. julie roach (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Maurice, a little bear, can't wait to experience his first spring, so while Mama hibernates, he goes looking for it. Even though woodland friends Squirrel, Rabbit, Deer and Robin tell him it isn't quite time yet, Maurice soon mistakes falling snow's icy beauty for springtime. Cut-paper collages, enlivened by subtly placed ephemera, create manifold, bafflingly luminous and engaging illustrations. Photographed and reproduced to fill every double-page spread in this immensely pleasurable seasonal story, they offer a sense of continuum (perfect for a tale of cyclical change), luxuriant space and a wonderfully immersive reading experience. Snippets of newsprint, handwriting, lined composition paper, faded letters and old books simply beg for scrutiny. Cut-paper forms, the raised edges of which cast little shadows within the collages, challenge two-dimensionality and enchant readers. Petals, tree trunks, evergreen boughs and berry bushes appear as sculptural shapes, multidimensional and magical, bestowing on young children the same pleasurably disorienting and dazzling confusion the little bear feels when holding his first ice crystal. Maurice awakes to find his red scarf wet from the snowball he hoped to save, a sweet wink to Peter and his Snowy Day, but he also finds spring itself in all its budded, bountiful, glory. Exceptional, exhilarating artwork perfectly suited for a story about anticipation, discovery and joy. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Berger's (A Perfect Day) crisp, meticulous paper compositions give her work a distinctive, tailored look. Neatly trimmed paper shapes are mounted above fields of muted green and ivory, casting thin slivers of shadow on the page. Maurice, a bear cub, knows he'll wake up to his first spring, and he's too excited to sleep. He leaves the cave he shares with his mother to start his search early. Hurrying along a forest path, dwarfed by towering pines, Maurice feels a spark of cold, holds up a snowflake, and mistakes it for something else. "Spring?" he asks. On the Great Hill, he revels in a blizzard of snowflakes, a tour de force of lacy paper shapes, and collects them in his sack. When he awakens months later, his sack is empty, of course, but real spring and a splendid shower of flower petals give him new joy. Even the youngest readers have the satisfaction of knowing more about snow and spring than Maurice does, and the balletic grace of Berger's artwork provides exceptional visual drama throughout. Ages 4-8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Winter is coming, but little bear Maurice, excited about his first spring, imagines springtime flowers. Instead of sleeping, he leaves his den to look for spring. He queries Squirrel, Rabbit, Deer, and Robin, who tell him, not yet. Cut-paper forms float above the page, casting shadows and creating the illusion of a three-dimensional world that children will happily enter. Interesting perspectives combine with scenes that vary from one- to two-page spreads to smaller vignettes to help set the pace for Maurice's journey of inquiry. The palette changes to reflect the season. When Maurice sees a sky full of snowflakes (they resemble his vision of flowers), he thinks, Spring. He even takes some home with him. When he wakes, his evidence has disappeared. Eager to share his discovery, Maurice takes his mother and friends back over his path, this time passing blooming trees and green buds. Everything had changed. They do, indeed, find spring and spring flowers. Chock-full of visual cues and information, this is a charming exploration of seasonal changes.--McDermott, Jeanne Copyright 2015 Booklist