(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sébastien Braun. Excited Little Pip, thinking it's his birthday, wakes up Daddy Grizzle three consecutive mornings, only to be reminded each time of how many more sleeps he must wait. Illustrations show that while the small bear plays and sleeps, his father prepares a party and birthday surprises. The detail-filled illustrations outshine the predictable plot (which ends with a nod to How Many Sleeps 'til Christmas?).

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Sébastien Braun. "WAKE UP! I think it's Christmas Day!" a bear cub tells his dad each of several mornings before Christmas. This non-preachy lesson in delayed gratification has father and son filling time by choosing their Christmas tree one day, making Christmas cards the next, and so on. Like the text, the illustrations are aggressively targeting "cute" and "cozy"--and hit their mark.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Sebastien Braun. Fox takes Crow's cheese, then Crow returns the favor. Enter Mama Bear (cheesemaker extraordinaire), who puts the two feuding animals to work...making cheese. As the three chapters incorporate elements of trickster tales, novice readers have a familiar structure to propel them through the story. Illustrations highlight important points in the text. A solid choice for kids moving toward reading independence.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sebastien Braun. Little Fox is jealous of the new baby. However, the tender exchange between Daddy and Little Fox when sharing honey cake ("Baby Fox...is much too small for honey cake") overrides Little Fox's anger. Originally published in the U.K., this edition lets a few Briticisms (clean washing, the bin, cross) slip into the text. Warm-toned illustrations depict a cozy home setting.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty