The Polar Bear in the Garden
by Richard Jones ; illus. by the author
Preschool     Peachtree    32 pp.     g
10/22     978-1-68263-433-2     $17.99

So much can happen in the span of a week: “On Monday I found a polar bear in the garden.” A single-page illustration features a large, round bear with a friendly demeanor whose white fur and black nose contrast starkly with a bright red background. The following double-page spread provides more context and visual details. This bear is so small it fits in the child narrator’s hands, and the child is eager to help: “Are you lost, little bear?” By Tuesday, the bear has grown bigger and is now pocket-sized. The child decides on Wednesday to bring the bear (now in a hat) back to its home, and the two set sail on a journey that takes the rest of the week. By Sunday, the bear is too big for the boat, so the child sits on its back as they approach an icy shore where other polar bears are waiting. The colorful, playful paintings with their soft textures exude a sense of calm, and the shifts in visual perspective from far away to close up to high above boost the sense of adventure. After a final day of play, the child must part with the now enormous bear, but with a hopeful closing, “Goodbye, little bear, goodbye. See you again soon.” This gentle separation story subtly weaves in concepts of size comparison and days of the week and should resonate even with young toddlers, who likely will not want to say goodbye to this cuddly-looking bear, either.

From the September/October 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.