Book 165: Bear Wants More

Bear Wants More, by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman, McElderry Books, 2003.

I don't even live in the north and I'm ready for spring.  Bear Wants More is a perfect spring book.  Bear wakes up from his long winter hibernation and he's hungry.  No matter how much he eats, he's still hungry.  His friends try to help by taking him to their favorite feeding places, which is pretty brave of his small woodland friends.  The story is simple, but every line is read-out-loud delightful.

Jane Chapman does a wonderful job capturing the essence of the woodland creatures.  Her illustrations are beautiful, sweet, endearing, but not at all cartoonish.  The bear is clearly a bear, and when he is hungry he does look a bit fearsome (but not terrifying).

This is a book I used quite often for Spring Story Times at the library, and with good reason.