When Mother Bear leaves for a week-long visit with her sister, Father Bear is left to take care of the children. All he has to do is buy groceries, cook dinner, do some yard work, keep the house clean, and get the children to bed early. What could possibly go wrong in a week? Nearly everything goes wrong, and Father Bear discovers that the tasks that are so simple when Mother Bear is home are quite difficult without her. Taking a bath, cleaning clothes, and even fun activities like going to a fair and playing Cowboys and Indians all lead to trouble. It's all Father Bear can do to have the household back in order in time for Mother's return, by which time he's fallen asleep on the couch, dreaming of all he learned during her trip.

Illustrated by: Annet Rudolph