The Best Gift for Bear
by Jennifer A. Bell; illus. by the author
Preschool    Two Lions/Amazon    40 pp.    g
9/22    978-1-5420-2922-3    $17.99

Hedgehog has been baking cookies for her friends and neighbors, but “Bear should have a grand gift, a special gift, something wonderful…just like Bear.” Nothing seems good enough until her home’s decorations give her the best idea: a giant gingerbread house. When a gusty wind turns Hedgehog’s creation into a pile of crumbs, Bear comes to her rescue and reveals her own present attempt, reminding the two just how well suited they are as friends. Red ribbons and berries plus snow-covered pines, wreaths, and other greenery give the gouache and colored-pencil illustrations a cheerful wintry feel. The front endpapers feature “Hedgehog’s Gingerbread Cookies” and “Grandma’s Honey Icing” recipes.

From the November/December 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.