Where Is Bina Bear?

Imbued with understanding and overt silliness; a quietly chucklesome affirmation of introverts.

Bina, a large purple bear, is wearing a lampshade on her head at a party--and it's not a sign that she's having too good a time. "Bina? Is that you?" asks Tiny the rabbit, the party's host, after discovering Bina standing alone in a dark room. "I am not Bina. I am a lamp," the figure says. Tiny doesn't press when Bina camouflages herself as other, increasingly elaborate objects, including a table with a fruit bowl, a tree with a swing, and a full bookcase. But when Tiny finally asks the bear if she's okay, a tearful Bina--now hiding out in the kitchen as a bag of groceries--admits that she doesn't care for parties and only attended because she likes Tiny. Refreshingly, the host's response is not to cajole or push, but to be with Bina in a way that acknowledges the bear's feelings--even if it involves each of them wearing a lampshade. As always, Curato (Flamer) handles the theme of acceptance with empathy and a gently comic touch: the crisply rendered ink, watercolor, and pencil illustrations have a visual directness that appreciates the reality of Bina's needs, as shown through her masking attempts. It's a tender tribute to both lone wolves (er, bears) and the beings who love them. Ages 4-8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, the Book Group. (Jan.)