While hanging laundry one day, Bear and Mole decide they're going to hike to Camp Tiptop and camp out. Although Mole is eager to "see the stars turn on," he's also a little nervous. "Will we get lost in the dark up there?" he wonders. "No... We'll be together," Bear reassures him. When they arrive at the tiptop, Bear tells Mole the story of the First Bear family and First Star (aka the North Star): long ago, the bears, fearful of the dark, shaped white clay into a ball that became the shining moon. First Little Bear scattered white stones in the sky--they became the stars. And First Father Bear reached as high as he could and pressed hard on one star, fixing it in place. "This star WILL NOT move!" he said. "It will always point North. We will never be lost in the dark." Mole is delighted with the story, especially with its surprise ending, which Bear skillfully weaves into the tale.
The many fans of Will Hillenbrand's beloved Bear and Mole books (Kite Day; Spring Is Here; Off We Go) will be equally delighted by this stellar addition to the series. The spread showing Bear and Mole gazing into the vast indigo night sky from their mountaintop perch is exquisite, as is the particularly touching image of little Mole reaching to pull big Bear up over a steep rock. Young readers will love the book's center picture--which needs to be turned 90 degrees to view properly--of First Father Bear reaching up into the sky. First Star is a beautiful celebration of friendship, storytelling and the magic of a starry night. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor