Told in verse, this story presents a boy and his stuffed animal, Beary, who leave their cozy bed and take a stormy nighttime journey to help some weeping woodland animals find shelter from the rain. They help the frightened creatures build a large, waterproof lean-to out of sticks and use the "blankie" that they have brought along to cover the floor. Everyone piles in, an otter concocts soup, and all are happy. In the morning, the child and Beary find themselves back in their sunlit bedroom. The blue-bordered watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations of winsome animals, a brave boy, and the blue-and-white quilt are stronger than the forced verse. Children who are timid about wild weather will admire the youngster who brushes off fear in the teeth of the gale; it's too bad the telling isn't more sparkling.Asusan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.