Cooper, Elisha: Bear Dreams.

Cooper, Elisha BEAR DREAMS. Il. by author. ISBN 0060874287. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2006. 40 pp. $11.55. This book, by the author of Dance! and Ice Cream, tenders a character named Bear to whom children could easily relate. As young children move toward autonomy, they want to have more control over their bodies and their environments. Bear complains, "Why do the other animals get to play outside, while I have to stay in and sleep? It's not fair." The author shares other notions that children invariably have thought through the generations. He endows the bear with the same type of endearing, yet frenetic, energy and the creative stalling techniques that all children employ when trying to avoid an undesired stopping time. The beautiful watercolor illustrations playfully capture the rush of being out of control and the ultimate crash once all nervous energy has been expended. This book would be a wonderful bed-time story, recapturing the day and its excitement. Ages 3-8. Reviewed by Ernie Dettore, University of Pittsburgh, Office of Child Development, Pittsburgh, PA