Bear Books For Your 2-4 Year Old

Ever since their first appearance in toy stores, teddy bears have been loved by children and adults alike. One of my daughter’s first toys was a teddy bear given by her lolo (grandfather). She named that first bear “Duke” and loved it so much that when she got her second teddy bear, she named it “Duke Jr.”! This fascination with bears is most likely what inspired children’s authors to write about these fuzzy friends. If your child is a bear fanatic, read this list of bear books that we have enjoyed with our toddlers and preschoolers.

1. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

Wonderful memories reading this book!

This classic by Michael Rosen was one of the first books ever memorized by my daughter! She was naturally drawn to the short, repetitive nature of the text. That it was about a family going on an adventure also delighted her. Aside from being chanted, the book also encourages movement. During some readings, we re-enacted the book and splish-sploshed our way through the grass, river, and the mud. Mariel shares the fun that they had with this book here.

2. Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?

A classic for many reasons

It is a guessing game, a feast for the eyes, an animal identification game, a color recognition game, and a song (yes, it can be sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star) all rolled into one book. One of the first books my daughter “read”!

3. Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall

The classic tale retold by one of our favorites, James Marshall

The age-old classic will delight every child! We love James Marshall’s version which won a Caldecott Honor medal for its illustrations. Special mention goes to Leola and the Honeybears, an African-American retelling of Goldilocks by Melodye Benson Rosales, which my then 3-year-old also enjoyed! We loved making voices for each of the bears.

4. Ask Mr. Bear

Bear hugs after every reading? Yes, please!

We discovered Ask Mr. Bear from Before Five in a Row. Of late, my daughter has been scared of bears who are “not nice and scary”. I brought out this book to remind her that not all bears are mean.

Ask Mr. Bear is about a little boy named Danny, who was looking for a present to his mother. He asked some farm animals but it was the bear who finally suggested a gift that was most apt – a great, big bear hug! The bear hugs that I get after every reading makes this book an absolute favorite!

5. Corduroy

One book that we’ve read again and again.. and again.

Corduroy is an endearing story about how the old stuffed teddy bear met his lifelong friend, Lisa. It is a story about friendship, obedience, saving up for something. It was a favorite for months that I had to find the sequel, A Pocket for Corduroy, just for a much-needed change. Yes, we do get tired of reading books aloud over and over again! Precisely why we need all these books!

6. Little Bear

Simple yet charming stories about a little bear and his adventures

The Little Bear series was one of the first chapter books that I’ve read to my daughter. It is simple, charming, and fun. I can’t wait for my daughter to read this all by herself and take turns with her reading it aloud. We stock up on this simple yet charming storybooks over at the shop.

What’s the one bear book that you’ve read over and over to your child?

I would love to hear what other stories your bear-lovers enjoy! Please share and leave a comment.

Have fun!

Currently reading: Sycamore Row by John Grisham

Currently reading-aloud: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, Daniel’s Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla, The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack

Read All About It is Sanne’s bi-weekly column. Read her welcome post here.