Campout Washout! Bear in Underwear: Goodnight, Underwear by Todd H. Doodler

SEVEN FLASHLIGHTS ON THE GROUND.

SEVEN FRIENDS CIRCLING ROUND.

That Bear in Underwear and his friends--Sasquatch and Skunk and the rest of the guys--are on a campout. Eschewing the cozy cabin in the pines, the guys decide to rough it in their sleeping bags around the campfire, out under the stars. This is SO COOL!

SEVEN FRIENDS TUCKED IN TIGHT.
IT SHOULD BE QUITE A NIGHT.

That prediction comes true, all right. The seven campers meet all the joys of sleeping out.

First, it's not exactly quiet. An owl and a dove decide to do a duet: WHO WHO WHO COO, COO, COO.   Lovely!  Field mice march by in troupes of ten or so. Who knew little rodent feet could keep kids awake.
But then the real night forces attack the would-be campers: bugs in the eye, rocks under the sleeping bag, even a frog that someone has prankishly put in Bear's sleeping bag, strange moving shadows and critter sounds from the woods.  Then the real special forces come out in force-- commando mosquitoes! The seven would-be snoozers soon have a bad case of the itches and twitches.

But, of course, nobody wants to chicken out on the sleep-out. Until--is that thunder? And thunder means--WASHOUT for the campout!

Trailing pools of rainwater, Bear in Underwear and his friends repair to the cozy cabin,. It's time to strip out of those wet clothes and enjoy the pleasures of sleeping indoors!

GOODNIGHT TO UNDIES, MIGHTY FINE
THAT ARE DRYING ON THE LINE.
GOODNIGHT TO UNDERWEARING BEAR,
GOODNIGHT, GOODNIGHT UNDERWEAR.

Todd Doodler combines his talents with veteran author Harriet Ziefert in his latest skivvy story, Bear in Underwear: Goodnight Underwear (Blue Apple, 2013), closing with a spoofy nod to the classic Goodnight Moon. Doodler's signature bear in tightie whities is always a winner with the primary grade set, and the final page, with its clothesline full of the campers' soggy shorts and drippy briefs is a great visual joke to end this tale. Doodler's earlier undies sagas include Bear In Underwear, Bear, Do You Wear Underwear?, Bear in Long Underwear (Bear in Underwear), Bear in Pink Underwear, and What Color is Bear's Underwear? (Bear in Underwear), all with the underlying theme that self-esteem makes the man, er, Bear, not his wardrobe. Guaranteed giggles and great fun for storytime or the beginning reader.