• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2018 February #1
  Bear has awoken from his first hibernation. With his stomach growling, he digs and scrapes for something to eat. Suddenly he recalls . . . honey! He runs to the tree where bees live, but it's too early in the year for honey. Now everything he sees reminds him of it, from the sticky sap and the golden meadow to the sweet smell of warm grass and the clear, flowing stream. He waits and waits and tries again, only to be stung by the bees. After more time passes, he finally feasts on honey, a summer highlight to remember as fall returns. The text emphasizes Bear's single-minded pursuit, but when he must wait, it turns to his delight in the world around him as the spring turns to summer and then fall. The short sentences and the many sensory words work well, helping readers to share his experiences. Created with bamboo pen, watercolor, and touches of white acrylic, the freewheeling, expressive illustrations bring Bear's world to life on the page. A well-crafted sequel to Leaves (2007). Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.

Award-winning children's author and illustrator David Ezra Stein was born in Brooklyn, New York. His works include Interrupting Chicken, Leaves, Monster Hug!, Tad and Dad, Pouch!, and Ol' Mama Squirrel. In addition to winning the Ezra Jack Keats award in 2008 and a Caldecott Honor in 2011, Stein's books have been named to several major book lists, such as Publishers Weekly's Best Book of the Year, Kirkus Reviews' Editor's Choice, and School Library Journal's Best Book. He lives in Kew Gardens, New York, with wife, Miriam, and their son, Sam.