Bear in Underwear

In a forest composed of flat geometric shapes, Doodler creates a cast of cartoon animals who talk in speech balloons and sport friendly, if slightly crazed, expressions. Bear, who's pictured on the cover wearing soft fabric tighty-whiteys (a fun, if slightly creepy touch), finds a backpack on his way home after a game of hide-and-seek. His overzealous friends demand he open it, which he does after overcoming his initial nervousness, and discovers that it's full of underwear of every shape and style. At the encouragement of his friends, he tries on several pairs, attempting—à la Goldilocks—to find a perfect fit (one is “too silly,” another “too itchy”). After he finds it, his friends join in the fun, showing off their undies with shouts of “Totally rad!” and “Super cool.” Doodler (The Zoo I Drew ) offers candidly silly details on every page—from the panoply of underwear options to the outline of Bear's rear end when he's not wearing any—all but ensuring that despite the fact that there's not much story in this meandering book, kids just might adore it anyway. Ages 4–up. (Apr.)