What About Bear? by Suzanne Bloom Ages 2-5 32 pages Boyds Mill Press March 2010 Hardcover     Told with a minimum of words, this thoughtful picture book addresses the problem of what happens when a playgroup expands from two to three children, and one child subsequently gets left out of the fun. Bear and Goose are enjoying playtime when Little Fox asks to join the fun. Once he's included, the newcomer changes the game so that only two can participate, and Bear is excluded. Feeling left out, Bear finally decides to leave, forcing his friend Goose to come up with a solution to the problem. Of course, the clever goose does, and all three animals end up with smiles on their faces. The third in Suzanne Bloom's "Bear and Goose" series of picture books, this may be the best to date. The issue of hurt feelings created by expanding playtime from two to three or more participants is certainly a real one. The author deals with this dilemma in a simple, straightforward manner that will allow parents (or a teacher) to address this issue with their children.     web reviews   Bob Walch/2010 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)