Bear’s Big Day

Bear, previously seen in Found and Stormy Night, considers himself to be a “big bear” now, and he’s ready to leave his much-loved stuffed rabbit, Floppy, at home when he goes to school. Or is he? “Bear thought school would be lots of fun,” writes Yoon. “But something—or someone—was missing.” Luckily, Bear’s teacher, Miss Fox, is there to pass along some advice (“Being big doesn’t mean you have to do everything by yourself”) and help Bear with an arts-and-crafts project that lets him share the school day with Floppy. (Several of Bear’s classmates, readers will notice, are already bringing their own stuffed friends to school.) Yoon’s confident storytelling and appealingly chunky artwork create an emotionally resonant tale with some well-handled moments of levity—Bear’s bear-shaped backpack is both central to the plot and adorable. Up to age 5. Agent: Jamie Weiss Chilton, Andrea Brown Literary. (June)