Changes, Changes: Don't Worry, Bear by Greg Foley

When Bear finds a caterpillar working hard on his branch, he is worried when the caterpillar tells him that he's making a cocoon in which to keep himself safe inside.

"I'll stay inside a while, but I promise you'll see me again," he says.

Not reassured, Bear comes back that night with his flashlight to check on the little cocoon with his friend inside.

"Don't worry, Bear. I'm not afraid of the dark," Caterpillar reassures him.

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Still Bear's heart is uneasy. He returns on a windy day and then on a rainy day, and each time Caterpillar, from within the cocoon, tells Bear that he is safe and dry. When cold and snow arrive, Bear brings his friend Mouse to check on Caterpillar. Standing on Bear's head to observe the still little cocoon, Mouse muses for a moment and then says,

"Don't worry, Bear. I think Caterpillar is sleeping."

At last Bear stops worrying about Caterpillar and ceases his trips to check on the cocoon. But when at last spring comes, in high anticipation he returns to the budding tree. There, to his dismay, the spot on the limb is bare, and the cocoon case on the ground is cracked and empty.

Then a silk moth lands on his paw with a perky "Don't worry, Bear. I'm right here."

The sequel to his 2007 Thank You Bear, Greg Foley's Don't Worry Bear is a model of simplicity, in illustration and text. The drawings are simple and sweet, and the gentle story of a bear who worries about his friend's return will strike a chord with young children for whom "someday" is hard to imagine and a long time coming.

For my review of Thank You Bear, see my post of April 9, 2007.