This book held SO much promise. The graphite drawings are stunning and they are what immediately drew me into this forest world. And to have animals playing instruments, it's bound to be fun.

But I don't know if this book is trying to embrace individuality. If it's trying to be funny. Because honestly, I felt like the book encouraged pouting when you don't get your way. The bear leaves. Just leaves the forest. Just. leaves the forest to float down the river because no one liked his song (which literally was "I'm a bear" over and over and over again.)

The drawings and text did not line up. So honestly, the only reason this is rated so high is for the illustrations. ( )

Author Cary Fagan and illustrator Dena Seiferling bring back the cast of characters from King Mouse, their first book together. In that picture book, a mouse discovers a crown and becomes king for a time, delighted to be waited on and entertained by the other animals. But things go awry when all the other creatures but one, Bear, also discover crowns—all planted in the forest by a child on a tricycle. (It’s hard not to think of Mr. Fagan as the mischievous child who has left behind objects just to see what his animal characters will do.) Bear lumbers off, despairing that he’s the only one lacking a crown. A kingly, generous gesture by Mouse the fashioning of a dandelion crown ends up cheering Bear and cementing the friendship of the two.

In Bear Wants to Sing, the child on the tricycle once again rides into the forest in the misty morning light, this time to place several musical instruments. Bear makes the first discovery: a ukelele. He’s all set to sing for his friend, the mouse, when one animal after another interrupts. Each discovers and plays a different instrument, singing to celebrate his or her own kind and way of being. Fox thinks they should form a band. Bear isn’t so sure. He’s been put to shame by the sophisticated lyrics of the others; his own composition is barely a ditty. It consists only of the line “I’m a bear” repeated a dozen times. Bear lumbers off to the river, dejected once again and determined to travel far far away. Mouse follows his friend, cheering Bear with praise for the authenticity of his song. “It’s just like you,” he merrily tells his friend as the two float—gently down the stream—Bear on his back, and Mouse on Bear’s belly.

This is another lovely and unconventional picture book by Fagan and Seiferling. The text and the old-fashioned, sepia-toned illustrations are beautifully matched. Children who love Arnold Lobel’s “Frog and Toad” books will adore this one. ( )