Ten forest animals play hide-and-seek. One by one, Bear finds their hiding spots until only Mousey remains hidden. Young listeners will enjoy hearing the gentle, repetitive rhythm and trying to spot the hidden critters in the soft, fuzzy, pastel-hued illustrations. The whole package, however, may be too sentimental and saccharine for some. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS-The 10 cuddly animal friends from Ten in the Den (Peachtree, 2005) return for a game of hide-and-seek in a bright, lush meadow. Bear is "it" and uncovers his friends hiding, sometimes by twos, under daisies, foxgloves, bluebells, and lilies. All except for Mouse, who has grown tired and is only discovered in the end, fast asleep in his own bed. However, observant children will quickly spy Mouse on many pages, as he appears with each new discovery, though quite unnoticed by the other animals. Butler's soft, wide-eyed animals will appeal to children. The soft purple glow of the waning light as the edges of night creep over the meadow is beautifully depicted. The rhyming text can be sung to the first stanza of the traditional song referred to in the title, but this pattern doesn't continue to the second stanza. Instead, snappy dialogue contributes to the pacing of the story and makes it well suited for reading aloud.-Robin L. Gibson, Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.