CHAUCER’S FIRST WINTER
by Stephen Krensky and illustrated by Henry Cole
Chaucer, a little bear cub, decides not to hibernate so he can keep playing with his friends, a fox and a squirrel, all winter. They teach him about snowball fights, ice “skating” and sledding, but when a blizzard threatens, Chaucer intuitively builds a snow den to keep them all safe. The story is so full of holes it’s practically mesh: What does Chaucer eat all winter? How is it he doesn’t even get sleepy? What about his parents? Cole’s illustrations depict a teddy-bear–like Chaucer disporting himself while his benignly smiling parents keep an eye on him in the background. Krensky’s text shines in its use of dialogue, if not in its observance of natural history, and kids who can overlook its logical gaps will probably get a chuckle or two out of it. (Picture book. 3-6)