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Bears

More Bears!

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Submitted by Ms. Catherine!

What does every story need? Why, MORE BEARS! Of course!  In Kenn Nesbitt’s More Bears! an unassuming author simply wants to write a simple story with absolutely no bears at all. But somewhere beyond the pages children keep calling for “More Bears!” Wanting to make the children who will read his story happy, the author adds a bear. But this is simply not enough. The children want more and more bears. As the story goes, the bears begin to take over the book until there are so many bears, it seems that they will pop off the page. This book would be a fantastic choice for a read-aloud. The story moves quickly and children will love shouting “More Bears!” throughout the story. Just be ready for the end when the author bans all bears from his book. But don’t worry.  This simply will leave room for MORE CHICKENS! See this book listed in our catalog

Bear Says Thanks

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Submitted by Ms. Tess!

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman is the latest in the great Bear series that began with Bear Snores On. In this installment, ideal for the Thanksgiving season, Bear wants to thank all his friends, for being such wonderful friends, with a big feast! Unfortunately, he has no food… But Mouse stops by with a pie. Hare has a fresh-baked batch of muffins. Badger’s just been fishing. Owl, Wren, and Raven bring fruit and herbs. Pretty soon, the feast is in full swing, and Bear hasn’t provided a thing! He is positively mortified. But, Mouse points out, he does have great stories he can share. And so Bear and his friends spread a picnic blanket across his cozy cave floor and enjoy their food and, most importantly, their friendship! Hopefully you and the little one in your life have good friends, family, and food to be thankful for this season! (And your librarians are very thankful for you!) See this book listed in our catalog

Bear Has a Story to Tell

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Submitted by Ms. Tess!

Bear Has a Story to Tell is the latest from the magnificent duo of Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead, creators of the award winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee. It’s a wonderful book to share with your little one this autumn, as the weather grows colder, and the leaves begin to fall. Bear is about to go down for his long winter nap, but first he has a story to tell. Unfortunately, most of his friends are busy preparing for the fast-approaching winter. Frog needs to find a warm place to hibernate. Duck needs to fly south. Mouse needs to gather seeds. Bear helps all his friends, but doesn’t get to tell his story. When warm weather returns, Bear is excited to finally tell his story! He welcomes all of his friends, one by one, to the balmy spring of their shared forest. Once they are all settled and ready to hear Bear’s story… he’s forgotten it! “It was such a good story,” he laments. Can Bear’s friends help him remember or come up with a new one? (You bet they can.) Bear Has a Story to Tell is a lovely, and gently illustrated, story about changing seasons, and helping friends. See this book listed in our catalog

Kite Day

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Submitted by Ms. Allana!
It’s a perfect day to fly a kite! Not only fly one, but Bear and Mole decide to make a kite. That is half the fun! Kite Day: A Bear and Mole Story written and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand is a perfect book for toddlers. The fun and excitement of flying your very own kite is portrayed beautifully in this story; the “ups” and “downs” as it were! The expression on Bear’s face when the string breaks is astonishing, and the events which unfold after that put a smile on the reader’s face. If you like Kite Day, check out Spring Is Here, the very first “Bear and Mole” adventure, also written and illustrated by this author. See this book listed in our catalog

“I Have a Little Problem,” Said the Bear

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Submitted by Ms. Tess!
“I Have a Little Problem,” Said the Bear by Heinz Janisch and Silke Leffler is a book that teaches an important lesson, in my opinion, for children to learn. Meet the bear, with a problem. “I have a little problem,” he says. “You see, I…” but as he is about to explain, he is interrupted. First, by the inventor, who is sure that the bear’s problem is he is too heavy, so he makes the bear wings, so that he’ll feel lighter. Then the tailor, who is sure that the bear’s problem is that he has no scarf to wear. Then the hatter, who is sure a fine hat is the cure for whatever problem the bear might have. The bear visits many folks, but no one lets the bear tell them what his problem is! They just assume they can fix it with some new thing. Finally a fly sees the bear moping, and asks what’s the matter. The bear says “I don’t want to talk about it. No one listens to me anyway.” But the fly is willing to listen. It turns out the bear’s little problem is that he is afraid of the dark, and needs a friend in his cave with him at night. It just so happens the fly would be happy to stay in the bear’s cave, and be his friend. Being a friend means being a listener, and the moral of this story is when someone has a problem, we should listen, instead of just assuming we know what’s best for them. See this book listed in our catalog

My Bear Griz

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Submitted by Ms. Tess!
In the tradition of “Calvin and Hobbes” comes My Bear Griz by Suzanne McGinness. Meet Billy. He really likes bears. Especially his bear, Griz. Billy imagines he is best friends with an enormous brown bear. Billy and Griz go exploring together, they eat “peanut-butter-and-honey” sandwiches, and play hide and seek. (Billy usually wins. I mean, where are you really going to hide if you’re a Grizzly Bear?) Griz is a great partner for napping, and star gazing. He’s really good at keeping secrets, and tells hilarious jokes. At the end of the book we see Griz as others see him–Billy’s teddy bear. This book has big illustrations, and simple text, making it great for young readers and listeners. The pictures are charming and kid friendly, and any child with a favorite toy they take every where, especially a boy with a bear, is sure to relate. See this book listed in our catalog