When best friends Frank (a fox) and Bert (a large bear) play hide-and-seek, Frank knows he’ll win. The outcome is inevitable given Bert’s choice of inadequate hiding places, such as a nearly leafless tree, or behind a too-small boulder. Frank improves his friend’s odds by increasing the counting time from 10 to 100 and Bert happily darts off across hills and stream, unaware that his hot pink scarf is unravelling behind him. Frank, following the yarn, is about to signal victory when he’s struck by a realization: “Bert is going to be very sad if he loses again. And even though I love winning, I love my best friend more!” And indeed, Bert is delighted to have won at last. When the game resumes another day, it’s Bert who counts while Frank runs off, confident in victory and unaware that Bert is holding the end of his bright blue hat, the yarn unravelling in his wake. A sly wink on Bert’s face suggests that he understands their play dynamics better than Frank suspects. It’s not only that wink keeping this charming duo’s story from being overly sweet, it’s also the droll illustrations with their judicious use of fluorescent colors among a mostly muted palette. (Ages 3–6)