Beary cute library books

plus some bonus borrows and recent book mail for Spring

Every once in a while, a theme presents itself to me while browsing the shelves of our local library branch. The display the day we visited featured books about dogs, but all I saw when I started searching through the shelves for new-to-us titles were books about BEARS! So here are some bear-y cute books to inspire your next trip to the library.

Most of these are backlist titles from the library but I’ve linked to Bookshop.org when available below. Every purchase through Bookshop.org supports independent booksellers and puts a few pennies in my pocket at no extra cost to you.

Goldi Rocks & the Three Bears by Beth Coulton and Corey Rosen Schwartz

Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear know how to rock! But they need a new singer, so they audition everyone—the Three Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and more. To their dismay, no one seems just right. Could the perfect lead singer be the mysterious girl sleeping on Baby Bear’s keyboard?

There Are No Bears in This Bakery by Julia Sarcone-Roach

A tough gumshoe of a cat--the name's Muffin--protects his territory: The Little Bear Bakery. But there are no bears here. Not on Muffin's watch. A hilarious story about a bear in the wrong place at the right time.

Don’t Feed the Bear by Kathleen Doherty

Bear loves when campers leave him grub. The park ranger does not. Smackity smack, Ranger pounds a sign into the ground: DON'T FEED THE BEAR!

Pup and Bear by Kate Banks

You are not my mother, said the wolf pup.
I am not your mother, said the polar bear, but I can cuddle you and keep you safe.
Pup and Bear is a picture book that celebrates differences and promotes kindness and is sure to resonate with fans of the beloved classic, Mama Do You Love Me?

Bird Hugs by Ged Adamson

Bernard isn't like other birds. His wings are impossibly long, and try as he might, he just can't seem to fly. He's left wondering what his wings are good for...if they're even good for anything at all. But a chance encounter with a dejected orangutan leads Bernard to a surprising discovery: that maybe what makes him different is actually something to be embraced.

A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom

Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree has the kind of high-energy and uninhibited playfulness that will have little kids following the action, making their own bear and bee sounds, and noticing first words that are all carefully placed with corresponding images.

Please Don't Eat Me by Liz Climo

When a carefree bunny is approached by a voracious bear in the woods, Bunny has just one request: "Please don't eat me." But the bear has a never-ending list of requests, and Bunny realizes maybe Bear isn't as hungry as he'd let on...maybe he just wants his new friend's company for a while.

There's a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins

Poor Mouse! A bear has settled in his favorite chair, and that chair just isn’t big enough for two. Mouse tries all kinds of tactics to move pesky Bear, but nothing works. Once Mouse has gone, Bear gets up and walks home. But what’s that? Is that a mouse in Bear’s house?

---

Bonus Borrows

You can’t expect me to go to the library and not check out books that my kids hand-selected! Here are a few “bonus” borrows outside of my bear theme.

The Secret to the First One Up by Iris Hiskey

When Lila, a young groundhog, objects to going to sleep for the winter, Uncle Wilbur tells her to rest so that she can try to be the first one to wake up in the spring and discover a big secret. She is indeed the first groundhog to awaken and quickly runs up the tunnel and outdoors, where she is greeted by all of the animals that do not hibernate and learns from them how important her shadow is.

Quiet by Tomie de Paola

A reminder that mindfulness—being quiet, still, and present with one another—is a very special thing. I love picking up dePaola’s books because they always feature an Airedale terrier (the same as our oldest dog and most spoiled family pet).

Night Night, Groot by Brendan Deneen

At the end of a long day guarding the galaxy, it is time for Groot to settle down. Night night, Groot, it's time for bed, time to rest your sleepy . . . Wait a minute: here's Rocket! He has one more important mission for Groot. But is it real, or just the beginning of a dream? Either way, it's quite thoughtful of Groot's Avenger friends to come by and help him save the day and even say good night!

---

💌Take a peek inside some recent book mail…

Thanks to engaged readers like you, I’m incredibly lucky to occasionally be sent free book mail from one of my favorite publishers, Thames & Hudson. This Spring, we were gifted a few more books in two great series that we collect. Keep scrolling to take a peek inside some recent book mail.

Miss Cat: The Gnome’s Nightmare by Jean-Luc Fromental & Joelle Jolivet is the 2nd book in the Miss Cat series. My six-year-old is a huge fan of graphic novels and these illustrated chapter books are perfect for building emerging reading skills. This book was so silly! The gnome jokes were a bit over the top for me but just right to drive the point home to young readers. Gno kidding.

Little Bee’s Book of Blooms and Little Robin’s Book of Birds by Yuval Zommer are smaller versions of Zommer’s BIG BOOK series. Both of these titles were timely as we’re spending more time in the yard. My kids love birdwatching and have told everyone we know that there’s a nest with FIVE House Finch eggs tucked in the watering can outside our backdoor.

Another title perfect for upcoming spring and summer vacations is Mouse by the Sea: A Vacation in Nature by Alice Melvin. I’m in awe of the illustrations in this series, and it was no surprise to find that the back of the book features a nature guide with facts about the different habitats and wildlife that Mouse encounters.

My favorite books from Thames & Hudson tend to be their non-fiction titles. Quarks, Sparks and Quantum Mysteries: A Cosmic Guide to the Building Blocks of Our Universe by Lisa Harvey-Smith is the latest in our science book collection. My kids have requested a telescope and microscope for Christmas so I think it’s safe to say they’ve inherited the science gene from my husband. I’m excited to have more books from a woman in STEM to save to share with my kids. I think this titles in particular is perfect for middle grade readers.

For fans of Where’s Waldo— Lost and Found in History: A search-and-find book by Clara Booth introduces kids to ancient cultures. Our favorites so far are the Rome and Egypt spreads. One page has a seek-and-find, and on the next page, facts accompany illustrated vignettes, adding a bit of background info to what the reader found.

Saving my favorite for last. I almost cried when Miffy and the Artists by Dick Bruna arrived on our doorstep and then doubly so when my daughter immediately opened it up and started reading the introduction pages on her own!!! I feel like Miffy the rabbit needs no introduction—she’s one of the most beloved bunnies in the world. Created by Dutch graphic designer Dick Bruna in 1955, Miffy marks her seventieth birthday this year. Miffy and the Artists is a playful introduction to art for young children, featuring Bruna’s bold illustrations in combination with iconic artworks by Frida Kahlo, Yayoi Kusama, Henri Matisse, Vincent van Gogh, and Andy Warhol, among others. By pairing Miffy illustrations with well-loved works of art, the book captures the essence of each work. Each spread includes a simple statement about the featured artist with questions that invite children to look more closely at the artwork on the page. It’s the perfect read-aloud for budding artists to get their creative wheels turning and thinking more critically about art. It was serendipitous that the book features art by Henri Rousseau. My 6-year-old told me they’ve been studying his art in her art class and just finished a wild cats project! I loved discussing the movement and emotion in this piece.

---

Some Newsletters from the Archives to put a bit of Spring in your step…

Featuring more picture book suggestions from years past:

Hoping you make the time to read aloud together,

Elsewhere on the Internet: Goodreads / Storygraph / Pinterest

If you'd like to support this free newsletter, here are a few ways:

👍 Comment and like this post here on Substack!
☕ Consider buying me a coffee or upgrading to a paid subscription.
📲 Restack your favorite part and share it as a Note on Substack.
📧 Forward this email to a friend (if you're the friend, subscribe here)
📸 Catch me on IG @overbookedmama