Little Bear's New Friend

ISBN 0895774178 - Since I just recently reviewed A Home for Little Turtle (Little Animal Adventures), I was happy to spot this one in the pile of books to read and couldn't resist it. Reader's Digest has a well-deserved reputation for publishing some of the best stuff out there and this series, Little Animal Adventures, is an adorable - and educational - addition. Little bear and his family prepare for their winter hibernation but the cub isn't tired and IS very curious about winter. As the first snow falls, he wakes. So excited about the snow, the small bear plays and romps until he realizes he's wandered far from home. Just then, a young wolf appears and offers to help him find his home... after they play! In the meantime, the mothers have met and are worried. There are hunters in the forest and their children are in danger. The two work together to track their wayward offspring and find them sleeping in the bear's den, worn out from their playing. The last two pages have facts about bears, which is a great way to turn this cute story into a learning experience. Homeschooling families, in particular, will find that to be a useful tool. The author, Muriel Pepin, tells a simple but charming story that children will enjoy. Translated from French (published as "Un bon petit ourson") by Deborah Kovacs, the English version is in simple language. The illustrations, by Marcelle Geneste, are very nice, even capturing the menace of the first meeting of the mothers with hunters in the background. - AnnaLovesBooks

This is a Reader's Digest Kids Book from the Little Animal Adventures series. It is a glossy hardcover book about a bear cub and a wolf pup who run off and play in the snow and explore because they do not want to hibernate. Their mothers wake up and go search for them, but before they can find their children, they come upon two hunters and must hide until the hunters go away. Eventually, they find their children, sleeping in the bear cave with the rest of the bear cubs. Beautiful illustrations, a sweet and informative book for children.