Bear in a Bathrobe

Caring friends help an ursine character get out of his comfort zone in this anxiety-oriented story with an encouraging takeaway. There’s nothing homebody Bear enjoys more than his fluffy pink robe: “It has pockets for my essentials.” And while the protagonist’s animal friends love to ice-skate, Bear prefers the indoors, claiming that “going outside is for wild animals.” Humorous vignettes present the lengths Bear goes to avoid joining the crew (27 loads of laundry) and highlight the skating-related concerns fueling Bear’s resistance—fears including stepping through the ice (“FEEEEEEEETS,” says a toothy fish below). When at last Bear heads out, the friends come up with a unique mode of support that carries the day. Frost’s thin-lined comics play with proportion and have a slapstick quality that helps make the likable, harried hero feel relatable. Ages 3–7. (Oct.)