<i>Rap, bap, tap</i>. Late one winter night, a boy wakes to strange noises. There's a bear in his yard! The bear leads him to a forest, where the snow has grown muddy and the trees have sprouted buds. The frost is melting—<i>crinkle, crackle, CRACK</i>. As they move deeper into the forest, the sounds grow louder. <i>Rap, bap, tap, crunch, scrunch, crinkle, crackle, CRACK! </i> In an explosion of spring a baby bird is born, ice shatters, and flowers burst forth. John Shelley's illustrations celebrate the season in a burst of color, as the woods transform from a moonlit winter wonderland to a wonderfully bright floral scene.