Jennys Bear

This welcome addition to the list of teddy bear books is a cozy offering about a girl who hopes a real bear will visit her. In preparation, Jenny helps her mother clean the garden shed, decorating it with her toy bears. The ensuing events--about ``pretend tea'' and the power of imagination--are pure childhood fantasy unshadowed by adult realism, as Jenny's wish comes true in enchanting fashion. Ratnett's unaffected text, sweet without being cloying, plays nicely against the fantasy elements--Jenny's mother, for example, views her daughter's daydream kindly and realistically: ``You know there wasn't really a bear, don't you?'' Goulding's pastel watercolors are homey and comforting; her ``biggest, brownest, friendliest-looking bear'' is precisely that--an oversized teddy bear come to life to charm all who believe that wishes can come true. The illustration of Jenny and her new friend rolling with laughter on the sofa is especially endearing. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)