One Bear, One Dog

A honey-brown bear leads a parade of animals and insects to the final page of this exuberant counting book, where the audience will discover a Mylar mirror so that they, too, can be accounted for. In a neat twist, Stickland's (Dinosaur Roar!) text enumerates each new addition with only the number one (""One bear, one dog, one mouse"") until the final ""One ME!"" While the illustrations' single, straight plane of action never changes, every spread is animated. Set against a backdrop of white space, the characters boogie in line, chatter with one another and welcome the newcomers who crawl or bound onto the page with expressions ranging from amazement to glee. Meanwhile, the large, colored type that announces each arrival swoops overhead. Subtle, restrained pencil shadings add movement to figures rendered chiefly in watercolor; each character comes to life with a distinct and winning personality. Ages 3-6. (June)