Alborough, Jez. Where's My Teddy. Cambridge, M.A.:Candlewick Press, 1992.

Eddie and a giant bear have both lost their Teddies. They find each other's Teddies, but neither is happy. They meet unexpectedly and their Teddies are exchanged. Everybody ends up with the proper ted in the proper bed. These confusing turns of event are brought to vivid life by Alborough's watercolor, crayon and pencil drawings. Children will be amused by the simple rhyming text and abundant misunderstandings. The broad illustrations are well suited to use in a storytime.

Berenstain, Stan and Jan. The Berenstain Bears Get the Grouchies. N.Y.: Inchworm Press, 1997.

The Berenstain bears wake up with a bad case of the grouchies. They spend a horrible day being mean to each other. In the evening Mother Bear looks at the others and realizes how silly they all look. She smiles and everybody catches the smile instead of the grouchies. The Berenstain's trademark humor will help children realize how silly the grouchies are. The illustrations bring out the humor in the text. This book would be good for a grumpy, February, Monday morning storytime.

Carlstrom, Nancy White. What a Scare, Jesse Bear. Illustrated by Bruce Degan. N.Y.: Simon and Schuster, 1999.

Jesse Bear has fun getting ready for the big night. He is at first scared of the costumes, but finds it all fun by the end of the evening. Degan's bright colorful pen and ink and watercolor illustrations set a playful mood. The catchy text with alternating rhymes will have the children giggling. This is a necessary purchase for a holiday shelf.

Freeman, Don. A Pocket for Corduroy. N.Y.:Viking, 1978.

Corduroy, the bear longs for a pocket of his own. He has many misadventure in the Laundromat while searching for a pocket. Lisa finally finds Corduroy and makes him the pocket of his dreams. Freeman's watercolor illustrations show the diversity of the city. His text would be challenging for a beginning reader. Corduroy's adventure in a familiar place will appeal to urban children.

Kennedy, Jimmy. The Teddy Bear's Picnic. Illustrated by Michael Hague. N.Y.: Henry Holt and Co., 1992.

A little boy in a teddy bear costume joins the teddy bears for their picnic. The lyrics of the song appear at the top of the page. Hague's multilayered illustrations are filled with playful bears and fairies. His images create a wonderful forest world for the bears. Children will be humming the song as they read the book.

Big Bad Bruce, the bear is a bully. He terrorizes the forest creatures until he meets Roxy the Witch. Roxy shrinks Bruce down to size literally and figuratively. Bruce finds being bullied is not as much fun. He and Roxy become friends. Little Bad Bruce ends up bullying the bugs. Peet's crayon and line drawings are comic, but realistic. His story is told with humor. This book will appeal to any child who ever wished to see a bully get his comeuppance.

Rosen, Michael. We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. N.Y.: Margaret K, McElderry Books, 1989.

A family bravely sets out on a bear hunt. They battle the countryside in their search for a bear. When they find the bear they quickly return to their safe home. The text is written like a song with a recurring chorus. The illustrations alternate between black and white for the chorus and colored for the action. This is a great book to do as a call and response tale.

Waddell, Martin. When the Teddy Bears Came. Illustrated by Penny Dale. Cambridge, M.A.:Candlewick Press, 1995.

Tom's mom comes home with a new baby. The relatives bring bears for the baby. As the bears pile up there is no room for Tom. Mom says there is always room on her lap for Tom. Waddell's story told with minimal text would be very reassuring for an older brother. Dale's warm, cuddly watercolor and pencil crayon illustrations nicely compliment the text. The bears are especially appealing.

Ward, Lynd. The Biggest Bear. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1952.

Johnny sets out in to the woods to get a bear. He ends up bringing home a bear cub instead. The cub eats, and eats and eats some more. He ends up being a huge bear. Johnny tries to lose him in the woods, but the bear keeps coming home. Johnny takes the bear out to shoot it, but instead the bear is captured and goes to a zoo. Ward's realistic illustrations mirror the realism of the story. This tale illustrates the realities of life in the country.

Yektai, Niki. Hi Bears, Bye Bears. Illustrated by Diane deGroat. N.Y.: Orchard Books, 1990.

Many different kinds of Teddy bears are presented. They suddenly scramble for their shelves in the toy store. Sam picks a soft bear. The rhyming text and watercolor illustrations are sure to delight toddlers who will enjoy identifying the different types of bears. This story lends itself to a flannelboard format.

• Bear stories naturally lend themselves to storytimes. Where's My Teddy would be good for a large group because of the broadly drawn illustrations and large text.
• The Berenstain Bears Get the Grouchies would be good for a grumpy February preschool storytime.
• The Teddy Bear's Picnic would be good for a late spring outdoor teddy bear picnic event.
• We're Going on a Bear Hunt would make a rousing call and response tale for a summer reading club finale.
• All of these tales lend themselves to being used with music, for instance The Teddy Bears Picnic or Waltzing With Bears.

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