Reviewed by Alyssa Elmore for Readers' Favorite

What happens when a child loses his favorite toy? What lengths would you go through to find it? Where's Bear?! by J.R. Poulter is an adorable children's picture book about a family's desperate search for Baby's missing favorite toy, Bear. Baby has been all over the place, so finding Bear might be more challenging than Baby's family initially thought. Thank goodness they have an ever-loving, faithful pooch to help out! Baby has been playing with his favorite stuffed animal, Bear. When Baby wanders off the family conducts a panicked search. Although Baby is promptly found, Bear is now missing! Where could he be? Brother, Sister, Mom, Dad, and Dog look everywhere for Bear. They search the yard, the house; even the trash! But Bear still hides. Will the family find Bear? Or will Baby's cries keep them up at night?

Where's Bear?! by J.R. Poulter is a beautifully illustrated children's storybook. This book is both educational and fun to read. The text is reminiscent of a Fun With Dick & Jane book; using repetitive dialogue to help enhance the child's learning while keeping the mood light with poetically rhyming fun. The pictures are engaging, captivating the little reader from the first page to the last. I admired how the author portrayed peaceful family life, (prior to Bear's disappearance, of course) and their commonly misunderstood and sometimes disregarded family pet. I believe that this book would make an excellent teaching tool for preschoolers and young readers struggling with the here/there/where adverbs. An absolutely adorable book! I loved the text, the pictures, and the story. It was engaging in a way that could easily inspire the less inclined child into enjoying reading.