Baby Bear is back in this cozy, counting-themed companion to the celebrated Baby Bear Sees Blue. Fall has arrived in Baby Bear’s forest, and the woods are teeming with animals busily preparing for winter. How many animals? Count along from one to ten with Baby Bear as he and Mama hustle home to their cozy den—just in time for the season’s first snowfall. PreS–First seen in Baby Bear Sees Blue (S & S, 2012), the curious cub returns in this fall-themed counting book. Mama Bear gently answers Baby Bear's questions about who is making a noise as he counts different animals gathering food, migrating, or dashing through the woods and fields in preparation for winter. Each spread includes onomatopoeic words to suggest the animal to both children and the bear. Wolff's stunning linoleum block and watercolor illustrations are suffused with autumn light and color, and the creatures appear to swim, fly, and jump off the pages. Extreme close-ups are juxtaposed with larger framing illustrations that celebrate the season, the creatures portrayed, and the playful bear. Successful as a counting book, an autumnal celebration, and a cozy book to share either one-on-one or in a group, this title will be warmly welcomed in all libraries.–Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WIα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. This follow-up to Baby Bear Sees Blue (2012) finds Mama and her cub on the cusp of winter. Baby Bear is curious about the sounds he hears around him, asking Mama questions like “Mama, who woke me?” After each inquiry, a page turn reveals the source of the ruckus: woodland folk who are busy preparing for the upcoming season. A woodpecker hunts a beetle (1 woodpecker, Baby Bear counts), 2 squirrels gather nuts, 3 beavers (“Whap! Whap! Whap!”) find sticks, and so on. When Baby Bear gets to 10, it’s snowflakes he is counting, and that means it’s time for Mama and baby to hibernate. As with the first book, Wolff gently introduces the natural world and seasons to toddlers, who will find plenty to explore in the double-page spreads, as frogs leap into ponds, and birds perch in tree branches. The linoleum block illustrations, hand colored with watercolor, present fall in all its spectacular glory, and the warmth between Mama and her child shines through. Ideal for both one-on-one and group sharing. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Ann Kelley * "The season’s turned from summer to fall since Baby Bear learned about the colors in his world ( Baby Bear Sees Blue , 2012). Now, as he and Mama observe many creatures getting ready for winter, he learns to count. In every way a lovely companion to the previous tale, this also stands well on its own. Baby Bear plies Mama with incessant questions—as preschoolers will do—and his patient parent answers and instructs.... Wolff’s lush watercolors illuminate black-inked linoleum prints. Her striking compositions play with perspective and depth of field, enabling children to enjoy bird’s-eye views as one woodpecker and then nine geese fly high, then higher, above Baby Bear. When the cub sprawls among wildflowers counting seven bees, readers are eye to eye at ground level, amid fallen apples, snails and a fuzzy caterpillar. Brimming with visual treasures and ending with snowflakes—“too many to count”—this joyous treat will reward both family and group sharing." ― Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2013, *STARRED REVIEW "First seen in Baby Bear Sees Blue (S & S, 2012), the curious cub returns in this fall-themed counting book.... Wolff’s stunning linoleum block and watercolor illustrations are suffused with autumn light and color, and the creatures appear to swim, fly, and jump off the pages.... Successful as a counting book, an autumnal celebration, and a cozy book to share either one-on-one or in a group, this title will be warmly welcomed in all libraries." ― School Library Journal, August 2013 "Wolff follows Baby Bear Sees Blue with a counting-themed sequel built around tender mother-child exchanges. Winter is approaching, but Baby Bear still has curiosities that need to be satisfied, especially with so many strange noises around him.... Wolff devotes two spreads to nearly every number, creating a leisurely pace and giving children and parents time to count the creatures while examining the many secondary details packed into each woodland scene." ― Publishers Weekly, July 15, 2013 "The curious young bear from Baby Bear Sees Blue (rev. 3/12) is once again exploring his world with his mother, and in this multiple-concept book (counting/animal sounds/seasons) he learns that, in preparation for winter, woodpeckers hunt for beetles, squirrels gather acorns, deer and crows munch on sweet corn, etc.... Wolff’s art (hand-colored linoleum blocks) is glorious, capturing the withered cornstalks, brown leaves, and fallen apples of late autumn while also conveying the busyness and vibrancy of the season.