This would make a good bedtime read. The Very Small is separated from his family and the bear decides to comfort him by taking him home to his own family since he doesn't know where to find the Very Small's family. Though the Very Small is continually homesick, he takes comfort from his bear friend and in the end, through some accidental sneezing, finds his way back to his family again. My only question would be about what happened next for the bear. Surely he would expect to find the Very Small in bed when he woke up the next morning. After all the bear went through to comfort the Very Small, having him disappear without so much as a goodbye would have to take an emotional toll. Poor bear. Good book though. ( )

Both of my boys have enjoyed this one. A baby bear finds a "Very Small" lost in the forest and brings him home. ( )

An oversize format and the intriguing juxtaposition of large and little make for a fetching picture book from the team behind Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep. Giant Baby Bear stumbles across a thimble-size "something" while playing in the woods one day, and takes the tiny creature home with him. Though the ursine fellow's size frightens the "Very Small," he cheers up when his new friend builds him a playground with a seesaw made from a pencil and spool, and shares his dinner (the miniature guest eats "one whole pea and five whole crumbs of bread"). After a bath, the new friends snuggle down for the night until a sneeze from Giant Baby Bear sends Very Small flying serendipitously back to his own parents. Dunbar's catchy, well-paced sentences (the bear's mother "gave a great big grin, showing all her great big teeth"), inspire Gliori's autumn-toned watercolors, which make the most of the contrasting sizes.