Bernard Bear's Amazing Adventure

A hilariously illustrated tale concerns Bernard Bear, who heads for the sunny South instead of hibernating, and the amazing adventures he has when he hooks up with some dormice and an old pickup truck.

Bernard Bear, who in many otherwise fetching spreads looks disconcertingly like Winnie-the-Pooh, faces a Pooh-like problem, to wit: the hiberation cave will be lonely this winter. Bernard determines to seek sunnier climes, but a snowstorm forces him into a derelict truck inhabited by three frightened dormice, surprised out of their own hibernation. After a short snooze, Bernard fixes the vehicle and heads south, accumulating other animal passengers en route-and providing de Beer (Little Polar Bear) with much opportunity for fanciful visual details. But the payoff is disappointing: the bear awakens in the spring to discover that it was all a dream. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 5-8. Bernard is an unusual bear: he hates the cold, and he hates to hibernate alone. Unfortunately, his plans to head south for the winter are stalled when he becomes lost in the forest during a driving snowstorm. When he seeks refuge in an abandoned pickup truck, he discovers that the place is occupied by a family of hibernating dormice. The dormice grudgingly agree to share their truck, and soon everyone is snuggled up together. Although Bernard visits the seaside in his dreams that winter, he learns that the only warmth he really needs is the cozy atmosphere created by his four hibernating companions. De Beer's lively watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations bring Bernard and company to life and help make the heartwarming story not only a great winter story-time tale, but also a nice choice to use in conjunction with a science unit on winter animals or on hibernation. Lauren Peterson