Fourth of July Bear

Lasky's ( Dinosaur Dig ; Sugaring Time ) storytelling flows as quickly and as smoothly as the waters that swirl around this warm tale's setting--a dolphin-shaped island off the Maine coast. Becca, a city girl, is apprehensive about spending the summer by the sea. She is sure that playing with her new neighbor, Amanda, won't be as much fun as rollerskating on the city sidewalks with her best friend, Emily. But when Amanda and Becca dress up in bears' costumes and ride on a fire engine in the town's Fourth of July parade, the two become fast friends. Cogancherry's ( Rebecca's Nap ; The Real Tooth Fairy ) homey, realistic illustrations superbly convey the story's many moods--from Becca's initial shyness to the elation she and Amanda experience when they jump into the icy ocean. Ages 5-up. ( Mar . )