Haste Makes Waste! Bear Can't Wait! by Karma Wilson

It's a fine sunny day, but the Bear is in a fidget as he ties a festive bowtie and paces to and fro.

"WHY IS TIME SO SLOW?"

What's all this fluster and guster about?

BEAR CAN'T WAIT!

Into Bear's cave, Badger brings a bucket of fresh-dug carrots for the cake. Badger brings berries and confetti. Raven comes in with a candle, and Owl flutters in with fresh flowers.

BEAR FRETS AND HE FIDDLES.

HE WIGGLES AND HE TWIDDLES.

BEAR... CAN'T... WAIT.

But Racoon bakes up the carrot cake, while Mole and Mouse stir up the frosting. But then, Bear just has to help!

"LET ME DO THE CAKE

AND HE TRIPS BY MISTAKE!

With a splat! Bear squashes the cake flat, all just because Bear couldn't WAIT!

Mouse takes charge, ordering Bear to hustle his bustle. The party starts in an hour!

"GET MORE CARROTS, HONEY, AND FLOUR!"

Haste makes waste, all right, but moving fast sometimes saves the day and this time...

. . . BEAR DOESN'T WAIT!

All's well, as the finishing touches on the second cake are done just in time fpr the birthday boy, Hare, to hop in for the surprise birthday party, in Karma Wilson's tenth book in her best-selling series, Bear Can't Wait (The Bear Books) (Margaret K. Elderry Books, 2021). Artist Jane Chapman outdoes herself in her gloriously charming illustrations of kids' favorite forest friends and their favorite host with the most, Bear.

Karma Wilson's plots, told in jolly quatrains as they are, also skillfully focus on Bear as he takes on some of the sources of strong early childhood emotions and getting by with a little help from his friends. A must-have for collections for preschoolers who can't wait (and who among them can?) and perfect for early readers who want to read their favorite ursine character's latest story.