POLAR BEAR, POLAR BEAR, WHAT DO YOU HEAR?

After a full generation, a companion to a perennial favorite (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, 1967). In the interim, Carle's bold, colorful art has become a bit more sophisticated, though no more appealing. The pattern is similar: in response to a query modeled on the title, each animal now hears the next—the flamingo says, "I hear a zebra braying in my ear," the zebra hears a boa constrictor hissing; and so on. At the end, a zookeeper hears a group of children, each imitating one of the animals. Attractive but not quite up to its predecessor: the text seems a little strained (especially some of the attributed voices—do peacocks yelp?), and the conclusion lacks the extra levels of meaning that made Brown Bear special. (Picture book. 2- 6)