Bearcub and Mama by Sharon Jennings (Kids Can Press) celebrates growing up and the mother-and-child bond. As Bearcub follows Mama everywhere, she teaches him survival skills. When he finds himself alone in a breaking storm, he draws on Mama’s lessons and wisdom. The tight cropping of Mélanie Watt’s acrylic artwork creates a feeling of intimacy, while the lack of white space heightens the power of the illustrations. This tender and comforting tale, conveyed in simple language, earns a place in the canon of bedtime reading. mRb