Bears!

The girls are going to bed at around the same time each evening (for now!!) so last night we let B. sit in on bedtime stories.  We did a few books for bubbas that we own, and a few books for J that are this weeks library picks.  It was really nice to read to them both together and to have them both listening.  The theme was bears, how could I lose!

B. is loving the 'That's not my...' books just as her sister did, and probably all babies do...

The Wheels on the Bus by David Ellwand.  We also love this book for the younger ones.  B. likes the fact it plays the tune in a light music box style and I think its this that grabs her more than the pictures at this stage.  J and I love the old style teddy bears that are the stars of the story though. 

Best Bear by Emma Dodd. I picked this one out for J as the 'Best Bear' of the title is very similar to her own best polar bear teddy.  This is all about a boy and his special teddy and how they are there for each other. I love the simple rhyming poetry in this, especially this verse; " worn fur kissed away, was white now grey". awww.

 Bug & Bear.  A new book published this year.  The illustrations really grabbed my attention, bright colours against a tea stained backdrop, and J thinks the story is very funny.  Bear wakes up grumpy and bug wakes up wanting to play.  Bear is pestered by bug all day, but all ends well when they eventually take a nap together, renewed friends.  Its a simple, uneventful story.  The pictures are better than the story itself but J still seems to like it!

Can you see a little bear? by James Mayhew and Jackie Morris. Lastly one picked because I love Jackie Morris' illustrations and I love white bears.  Each page in this is heavily illustrated with lots going on in a very fantastical and captivating setting.  Ladies riding on swans, hot air balloons and deserts mixed with snow.  A world of different creatures appear and the book is written in poetic questions "Elephants are big, mice are small, can you see a little bear standing on a ball?"  This is great as it makes the child really look at the picture and its easy to spot the bear, but as we look we see so many other things to talk about.  J likes the page where the little polar bear buys his own little white teddy polar bear.  This is a gorgeous book that is definitely on my wish list, if not J's too.

click image to link to The Imagination Tree !