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Bears

Bear and Bunny

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Submitted by Ms. Karen!

Bear and Bunny by Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. This sweetly illustrated story is about two friends, Bear and Bunny, who like walks, long talks, naps, and adventures in the woods. They obviously are besties, so much so, in fact, that “the bear is sure the bunny is a very small bear, and the bunny is sure the bear is a very large bunny.” But of course these kinds of things matter very little to true friends. One day the friends decide that what they need is a pet and they set off in search of the perfect one. Much wandering and careful discussion ensues – “Can a pinecone be a pet?” – until Bunny and Bear find just what they are looking for! See this book listed in our catalog

Mother Bruce

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Submitted by Mr. Eric!

Bruce is a bear. But he isn’t just any bear; he’s a grumpy bear. You can tell from his big ol’ grumpy bear eyebrows. Anyway, one day Bruce was shopping for some food. He took his grocery cart and waded out into the river to catch some salmon. Then he pushed his cart through the forest to grab some honey from a local beehive. He only ate local–it’s good to support local business, you see. Then he grabbed some eggs from Mrs. Goose, but only after asking if they were free-range organic. Once he had all the ingredients needed to make a new recipe (hard-boiled goose eggs drizzled with honey-salmon sauce, YUM!) he found himself in a predicament. You know those eggs he took from Mrs. Goose? Well, they totally hatched into four adorable little goslings. And you know what else? They thought Bruce was their mama! BWWAAAAA?!? Mother Bruce by Ryan Higgins is a story where a grumpy bear transforms in to a marginally less grumpy bear because of the love of four baby geese… Or maybe he stays completely grumpy forever.  You have to read the book to find out! See this book listed in our catalog

Bear Is Not Tired

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Submitted by Ms. Brenda!

Bear Is Not Tired by Ciara Gavin. Bear and the ducks live happily together. Because they are such a happy family, Bear often forget that he isn’t actually a duck. When winter weather starts chilling the air, Bear knows that soon it will be time for him to go to sleep, but he doesn’t want to go to sleep. He doesn’t want to miss out on all the fun the ducks will be having without him, so he decides to stay awake! His plan doesn’t work too well. Even though the ducks try to help him stay awake, Bear often falls asleep at very inconvenient times. Not until Mama Duck assures him that he won’t miss a thing, does Bear decide to give in and go to sleep. The ducks go about their daily business, including Bear whenever they can. One spring morning, Bear wake up! True to her word, Mama Duck has made a photo album to share with Bear when he woke up. Bear hadn’t missed a thing. His family made sure to include him, and he had the pictures to prove it! With illustrations that are soft, and full of expression, this is a perfect book for snuggling up with before taking a nice, long nap. See this book listed in our catalog

Not This Bear

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Submitted by Ms. Jill!

Not This Bear: A First Day of School Story by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, illustrated by Lorna Hussey. It’s Bear’s very first day at Bear School! Mama assures him that all the little bears love school, but Bear says “Not this bear,” because he loves staying home with Mama. When it’s time for art, Mr. Brown the teacher encourages Bear to put on a smock like all the other bears, but Bear says “Not this bear,” because he’s not quite ready to let go of his own familiar jacket. At circle time, everyone likes to sit on a mat and hear a story, but “not this bear,” because Bear always sits on Mama’s lap for stories. Things go a little better  until it’s time for recess, when all the little bears want to run and play and swing and slide, but “not this bear,” because it’s all just a little too noisy and wild for Bear on his first day. But when someone else says, “Not this bear, either,” Bear finds a friend who’s feeling a bit shy and quiet just like him. By the end of the day, when Mr. Brown asks if everyone is ready to go home, “not this bear!” comes the answer, because school is too much fun! Not This Bear is a sweet and reassuring story about first-day nerves that won’t scare little ones with terrible disasters or mean bullies. Mr. Brown is a gentle, understanding teacher who doesn’t push, and Bear finds his own ways to join in the classroom fun despite feeling unsure. See this book listed in our catalog

Polar Bear’s Underwear

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Submitted by Ms. Brenda!

If you have ever misplaced your underwear, you’ll understand Polar Bear’s terrible predicament in Polar Bear’s Underwear by Tupera Tupera. Polar Bear and his trusty friend Mouse set out to find his missing underwear. During the search, Polar Bear and Mouse find several pairs of underwear. Each time, Mouse asks Polar Bear if they are his. Each time, they belong to another animal friend. Readers are asked to take a guess as to whose underwear is peeking through the underwear shaped die cuts. Kids will get a kick out of guessing, then seeing the zebra’s striped undies, the butterfly’s teeny, tiny underwear, and the pig’s tasty treats printed underwear. When a plain white pair is spotted, Polar Bear and Mouse are happily surprised, and you will be, too! This is a fun lap book for one-on-one reading, and it’s definitely a crowd pleaser! See this book listed in our catalog

Room for Bear

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Submitted by Ms. Tess!

Room for Bear by Ciara Gavin is the heart melting tale of a special friendship between one big bear, and a group of little ducks. “One spring, Bear came to visit and never left.” And this suited everyone just fine. Bear loved his duck family, and the ducks loved the big bear. However, bears don’t fit comfortably in duck houses, and things got kind of uncomfortable. They tried to find a home they could share together, but it was difficult. Ducks don’t care for roomy caves, and bears don’t care for tiny house boats. Bear starts to worry: maybe he doesn’t belong with the duck family after all. Bear, fearing he’s become a “nuisance,” decides to leave. But the ducks know: “Nothing feels right without Bear.” And Bear misses the ducks and all the things they used to do together. Finally, Bear and the ducks find a home they can share, because they are indeed meant to be together. This is an adorable story that shows us that true family are the ones who love you most, and they don’t have to look like you. See this book listed in our catalog