"Of what do little bears dream? Bright snowflakes, perhaps... or dark starry nights." The first double-page spread of Little Bear Dreams shows the titular little bear astride a parent, tongue out, trying to catch one of the intricately shaped snowflakes falling around the pair. With the page turn, the reader is shown a vast sky sprinkled with shining stars, the little bear's nose peeking out from behind the big bear. Of what else does a little bear dream? Well, "[h]ot chocolate... cold pizza," "straight horizons... and curly moustaches," of course. Each dream vision is accompanied by an illustration depicting the little bear enjoying it: a tiny polar bear mouth covered in chocolate; the cub licking his lips at the sight of pizza; parent and child staring out at the flat horizon; and little bear sporting a giant, handlebar moustache. The dreams don't end with facial hair: the little bear hides underneath the parent for "[h]ide-and-seek"; nuzzles noses, showing "[b]ig love"; and sniffs at a bunch of bunnies, identified as "small friends."
With only a handful of words, Paul Schmid's (Oliver and His Alligator) creative "opposites" picture book is silly, fun and surprisingly tender. Schmid's color palette is limited--featuring a few shades of blue, white and off-white with pops of color for the little bear's dreams--but his illustrations feel expansive, depicting vast landscapes and adorable close-up, little bear "short tails." Little Bear Dreams is a perfect read for "frosty" nights and tucking into "[s]oft, snowy beds." --Siân Gaetano, children's and YA editor, Shelf Awareness