Small Bear Lost - Softcover

PreS?When a little girl accidentally leaves her beloved stuffed bear on a train, he valiantly attempts to make his way home by bus, on foot, and at last by balloons. Waddell's straightforward text is boxed and set in large type on most left-hand pages. The placement of the text allows Austin's expressive pencil-and-watercolor illustrations to charge the simple, linear story with some preschool-sized drama. The soft, pastel colors of the main character and the surrounding countryside are just right for the old-fashioned setting of this gentle tale. Young listeners not quite ready for Corduroy's protracted peril or the wordplay of Jez Alborough's Where's My Teddy (Candlewick, 1992) will relish Small Bear's satisfying journey home.?Ellen M. Riordan, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 3^-5. The little stuffed animal featured in Waddell and Austin's Sailor Bear (1992) is off on a new adventure. Awakening to find himself alone on the seat of a train, Small Bear gets off at the next station, determined to find his way home. He resourcefully takes a bus to the park across from his house, but since he's too small to cross the street alone, he must wait patiently for hours until his little girl finds him. Small children will find much to like in Small Bear's travels: his plucky response to trouble, his playful sense of adventure, and his confident expectation of a happy ending. Austin's charming pencil and watercolor illustrations have an old-fashioned air and plenty of child appeal. A simple, satisfying story for preschoolers. Carolyn Phelan