Bear’s School Day

In this addition to Blackstone and Harter’s long-running Bear series, young bears with simple, bulky forms and heart-shaped faces model a typical day at school, which Blackstone describes in pleasing, declarative rhymes: “It’s time for fresh air! The bears go outside./ They climb up the trees,/ they whoosh down the slide.” Harter makes especially vibrant use of color and pattern: the bears draw on turquoise craft tables, and black-and-white patterns provide eye-catching accents, as the guiding tone offers encouragement for readers new to school. Ages 2–6. (Aug.)