B. Bear and Lolly Off to School

Livingston (who also writes for children as Annie Auerbach) riffs on Goldilocks in a story about best friends Lolly and B. Bear: “And why not? They liked the same porridge, the same chair, and the same comfy bed.” The friends’ personalities—Lolly is carefree, and B. Bear (“Don’t call me Baby!”) an inveterate worrier and planner—peak during their eventful (and soggy) “shortcut” to school, during which other fairytale characters can be spotted in the background. While the story ends anticlimactically, with B. Bear realizing all he needs is a friend, Livingston’s sense of humor and Chou’s fairytale landscape result in an enjoyable story. Ages 4–8. (July)