ON ALL FOURS

A toddler bear takes a tactile journey in this translation of a French title.

The youngster has finely textured turquoise fur and sports a yellow striped shirt; one wide eye is circled in red. After the cub ambles out of the domestic realm, signified by a pile of toys, an unseen narrator describes everything the youngster encounters. Each sentence begins with the same phrase: “Four paws for dancing over little stones. Four paws for feeling the tickly grass.” Red text denotes sounds or heightened emotion, as when the bear stumbles into thistles (“Ouch!”) or slips in the mud (“Swoosh!”). The compositions provide a rich aesthetic experience with gorgeous multihued backgrounds that change to reflect the mood and the little one’s body language. The scenes brim with delightful details, such as a crimson spider that reacts to each situation. The close-up perspective comes to a climax as the bear stands fearfully on a snow-capped peak at “the edge of the world.” Then the view pans out to show the relatively short distance the youngster has traversed—and an adult with outstretched arms on the other side. The cub runs (on two legs) and wraps two arms around the caregiver, doing what bears do best. Dorémus’ luscious, emotive illustrations will inspire frequent readings. The spare, repetitive narration lends itself well to memorization; be prepared for little ones to shout out their favorite lines.

Youngsters will relish the ride from exploration to reunion.