Bear and Squirrel Are Friends . . . Yes, Really!

They might look very different, but Bear and Squirrel are friends. They both like to gather blueberries and acorns for supper. Bear helps Squirrel build his home in a tree. Squirrel helps Bear keep his den clean (fluffy tails make great dusters). And both of them enjoy playing games. Squirrel's squirrel friends ask Squirrel if he is worried Bear might eat him for a snack. "Don't be silly!" Squirrel scoffs. Bear's friends suggest that Bear might find Squirrel a tasty snack. "That's ridiculous!" Then Bear settles in for a long winter nap, and his friend settles in to wait, knitting a prodigious scarf as he does so. When Bear finally wakes up, they're glad to see each other…but they seem different. Bear looks very toothy, and Squirrel—well, Squirrel looks delicious. To the starved Bear, Squirrel actually looks rather a lot like a cupcake. Bear just can't help himself. There's much chomping and chewing, and Bear apologizes…for eating all the pancakes. Whew. Graphic designer Pilutti presents an unconventional friendship tale in a mix of full-bleed and spot illustrations with a smattering of dialogue bubbles that fit seamlessly into the story. The muted palette and flat, cartoon style work well with the silly, affirmative tale. A nifty, expectation-defying read-aloud.