“The night is keen and cold. Snug inside her warm den, a polar bear cub wakes. Something in the moonlit stillness quietly beckons.” The cub ventures out into the night, where she sees a walrus, seals, and whales, all sleeping. Inexplicably drawn on, the small bear waits and wonders, until a “star shower” like “snowflakes, falling, falling” illuminates the nighttime scene, waking the slumbering animals. Satisfied, the polar bear cub returns through the snow and ice to her sleeping mother and home. This quiet story is complemented by the arctic landscape’s evening hues, in shades of blue, green, purple, and pink. Repetitive language and a reassuring tone promise that the little polar bear’s nocturnal travels will end well in this ideal bedtime read-aloud. Honor Book, 2005 Charlotte Zolotow Award (Ages 2–5)

After wandering out at night to watch a magical star shower, a polar bear cub returns home to snuggle with her mother in their warm den.