Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff; illus. by the author Preschool Beach Lane/Simon 40 pp. 2/12 978-1-4424-1306-1 $16.99

In WoIfFs latest picture book StelL· and Roy, rev. 9/93; Little Donkey Close Your Eyes, rev. 1/96), a young bear awakes, curious about the world and ready to explore it with his mother. About the light that fills their den, he asks, "Who is warming me, Mama?" She replies that it's the sun, and "Baby Bear sees yellow." As the day progresses, Baby Bear asks questions about the birdsong he hears, the sweet fragrance he smells, the fish that splash him, the wings that tickle him. Each time, Mama gives him the answer, and each time Baby Bears stops to look at the corresponding color: blue jays, red strawberries, brown trout, orange butterflies. The pacing of the book is perfectly suited to its young authence. With each new encounter Baby Bear's question and Mama's answer occur on one double-page spread while the next spread pauses to let Baby Bear (and readers) revel in the colors and in nature. The repetition is also carefully employed: before readers can become bored with the progression, a thunderstorm approaches, Baby Bear and Mama retreat to their den, and when the storm passes, they look out to see a rainbow - the synthesis of Baby Bear's day. Wolffs art - linoleum block prints hand-colored with watercolor - capture not only the glories of the natural world but also the loving relationship between parent and child. Satisfyingly, the book comes full circle, ending at bedtime: "'Good night, Baby Bear,' Mama says. 'Good night, Mama,' says Baby Bear. Then Baby Bear closes his eyes and sees nothing but deep, soft black." MARTHA V. PARRAVANO