Where's Bear?

From Publishers Weekly In this agreeable story, young Simon is distraught to find his bear Snowtop?whose matted fur and stains make him dear and familiar?replaced by fluffy white Strange Bear, smelling of soap. Simon takes Strange Bear to look for Snowtop, and after some nocturnal play in the grass and the sandbox and a snack of bread and jam, he wakes up to find Snowtop back?though he now misses Strange Bear. Kids will delight in figuring out what Simon doesn't know: that the bears are one and the same. McKay (Dog Friday) evokes Simon's point of view deftly, such as his preoccupation with his favorite toy (his only words are "Where gone, Snowtop?") and when he softens to the intruder Strange Bear, who suddenly "look[s] very brave and friendly, despite his soapy whiteness." Ayliffe's (The Busy Building Book) collage artwork is expressive, accomplished and thoughtfully detailed. Simon's room, for example, is cluttered with toys and decorated with his drawings. Framed by the clueless adults' concern for cleanliness, the relationship between boy and bear shines brighter and brighter, the dirtier they get. Ages 3-7. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 1?A touching story about a boy and his much-loved bear. Mom and Gram think Snowtop needs cleaning so Gram takes Simon out for a day of fun, leaving the stuffed animal at home. All along the way the boy asks, "Where gone, Snowtop?" with no response from his grandmother. When the two return home, his mother tells Simon that Snowtop is upstairs in his room. However, sitting on the bed is Strange Bear, not Snowtop. This new creature is white and smells like soap, and the child cries himself to sleep, longing for his missing animal. When he awakens during the night, he takes the brave-looking Strange Bear with him as he searches for his lost toy. As they look in the sandbox, under furniture, and snack on jam and bread together, Strange Bear transforms back into Snowtop. While somewhat predictable, the story has a progression that children can follow and the repetitive, "Where gone, Snowtop?" adds feeling. Colorful, cartoon illustrations of emotion-filled faces illustrate the text.?JoAnn Jonas, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.