When considering the best selection of bear books for children, some of the things we considered were illustrations and reviewer feedback regarding storylines.
Providing good books will increase the likelihood of kids wanting to read. Vivid images help little ones imagine the story. The stories should have a happy captivating tale or one that can hook a child’s attention. Books that cause fits of giggles are also favorites with little ones.
All of the books in this review meet those criteria in addition to helping kids work through big emotions or learn important life lessons. Whatever your child likes, there is bound to be a book on this list that will make them happy and beg for story time. Let’s get into the best bear books you can get today!
Check Amazon- Helps children understand why taking care of themselves is crucial
- Excellent motivator for stubborn kids
- Gets kids excited about making healthy choices
Check Amazon- Children who have fun with rhymes will adore this cute story
- Lovely illustrations that kids will enjoy
- Perfect book to wrap up a long day
Check Amazon- Fun book will make reading lively and keep kids entertained
- Great for helping to improve a child's speech
- Highly re-readable
Check Amazon- Masterfully written narrative
- Story moves fast enough to keep everyone invested
- Wonderful pictures
Check Chewy- Teaches children mindfulness techniques
- Great for long car rides
- Helpful tool for teaching kids to manage their emotions
Check Amazon- Gives you opportunities to bond with your child
- Beautiful images
- Heartwarming story about hugs
Check Amazon- Good lesson for kids on how they should trust themselves
- Teaches kids to ask questions
- Wonderful pictures
A-Z-Animals’ Top Picks for the Best Children’s Books About Bears
1. The Berenstain Bears & Too Much Junk Food by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
Some of the most widely known bear books are from the Berenstain Bears series. This entire series addresses issues that kids encounter. Often these issues can arise when trying to teach your kids life lessons like why chores are necessary or why too much TV is terrible.
This book helps children three to six years old understand why taking care of themselves is crucial. It explains why diet and exercise are essential. The story helps kids easily understand while keeping them excited about making healthy choices.
In this story, Papa Bear and the kids consume too much junk food, and Mama Bear and a doctor try to get them back on the right track health-wise. This book helps kids understand that eating junk food and not getting enough exercise lead to being overweight. It can be a powerful motivator for children who rather eat junk food and watch TV than eat healthy food and go outside to play. And the stickers included will make it even more fun!
This title is available in Kindle, school and library book binding, and paperback picture book formats.
Several reviewers were disturbed by the “fat shaming” message of calling the cubs and Papa Bear” chubby.”
Pros and Cons of The Berenstain Bears & Too Much Junk Food by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The Berenstain Bears series of books address issues that kids encounter in real life. | Several reviewers were disturbed by the “fat shaming” message of calling the cubs and daddy bear “chubby.” |
| This book explains why it’s important to eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise. | |
| Papa Bear and the cubs are too heavy due to eating too much junk food and not getting enough exercise. | |
| This book can be a powerful motivator for kids who are too sedentary and eat too much junk food. | |
| The book also includes stickers that will make taking the book to heart even more fun! |
- Helps children understand why taking care of themselves is crucial
- Excellent motivator for stubborn kids
- Gets kids excited about making healthy choices
2. Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman (Illustrator)
While Bear sleeps, his cave fills up with his animal friends! This classic book from the New York Times bestselling duo of Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman is ideal for bedtime…or anytime! Children ages one to four who enjoy rhymes will adore this cute story.
Experienced parents and teachers admire the flow of words and how enthralled kids are with it. For kids who love to read the same stories repeatedly, this one didn’t drive parents bonkers after reading it nightly for bedtime.
Kids were in love with the illustrations, and the parents or teachers would use them to make the story more interactive for the kids. Everyone who read this book loved discussing the pictures and using it to help their children wind down. It’s the perfect book to wrap up a long day, and it’s available in audiobook, hardcover picture book, paperback, and board book formats.
Several reviewers said that they and their children couldn’t get into this book. A few said that the rhyming was “awkward.”
Pros and Cons of Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman (Illustrator)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book from New York Times bestselling duo of Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman tells the tale of Bear, whose cave fills up with animal friends while he sleeps. | Several reviewers said that they and their children couldn’t get into this book. |
| It’s geared toward kids ages one to four who enjoy rhymes. | A few said that the rhyming was “awkward.” |
| Kids, parents, and teachers found the illustrations to be engaging as well. |
- Children who have fun with rhymes will adore this cute story
- Lovely illustrations that kids will enjoy
- Perfect book to wrap up a long day
3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle
You may have read this as a kid or seen it around bookstores and classrooms. This fun book will make reading lively and keep kids entertained because it’s so catchy. It’s a perfect book for reading to groups of kids ages one through three, who respond to it like it’s playtime.
The story is about what a brown bear sees, and it can get super silly for all the kids who love to laugh. It will be hard for kids not to want to read the books aloud themselves, so don’t be surprised if they read to you for story time instead.
Reading aloud has several benefits, like helping to improve a child’s speech. The way this is written is almost like a song, and it has sturdy board pages so grabby hands won’t tear it up! It will quickly be a favorite that will be reread repeatedly.
This title is available in Kindle, audio, hardcover illustrated picture book, and paperback formats.
Several reviewers reported that they received copies with misprints, such as upside down pages.
Pros and Cons of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. and Eric Carle
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book is fun to read to groups of kids ages one through three because they find it so entertaining. | Several reviewers reported that they received copies with misprints, such as upside down pages. |
| It’s about a brown bear and what it sees. | |
| This title is available in Kindle, audio, hardcover illustrated picture book, and paperback formats. |
- Fun book will make reading lively and keep kids entertained
- Great for helping to improve a child's speech
- Highly re-readable
4. The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach
This picture book tells the tale of a bear that gets lost in the city and discovers a sandwich in a park. The story follows the bear from the woods to the city and home again and is packed with serendipitous encounters and happy accidents. In fact, it’s so engaging that don’t realize that this is a tall tale until near the end!
This is Julia Sarcone-Roach’s best book to date because of the masterfully written narrative, magnificent pictures, and unexpected conclusion. There is even a YouTube video available with former President Obama and his wife reading it, so you know it’s a fun book if they enjoyed it enough to share it too!
Parents loved the artwork, and so did kids ages three to five. The story moves fast enough to keep everyone invested. Mostly, everyone thought it was such a funny story and created a lot of laughter in response. This book is perfect for giggly kids who love silly stories.
It’s available in Kindle, hardcover picture book, and paperback picture book formats.
A couple of reviewers said that they and their children found the book to be boring.
Pros and Cons of The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone-Roach
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This picture book tells the story of a bear that gets lost in the city and comes across an unattended sandwich. | A couple of reviewers said that they and their children found the book to be boring. |
| The tale follows the bear from the forest to the city and home again and if filled with lots of adventure along the way. | |
| You won’t realize that it’s a tall tale until near the end. | |
| This is the author’s best book to date due to its engaging narrative, captivating illustrations, and unexpected conclusion. | |
| It’s geared toward kids ages three to five and is ideal for children who enjoy silly stories. | |
| It’s available in Kindle, hardcover picture book, and paperback picture book formats. |
- Masterfully written narrative
- Story moves fast enough to keep everyone invested
- Wonderful pictures
5. Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey (Author), Anni Betts (Illustrator)
Mindfulness practice involves being in the present and observing one’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences. For children, mindfulness can be a helpful tool for coping with big emotions and managing stress. A growing body of studies shows that teaching kids mindfulness can improve their mental health.
Mindfulness can reduce anxiety and has been shown to promote positivity. Teaching kids mindfulness can help them to build coping skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. In Breath like a Bear, they will get to learn fifty different meditations that they can use anywhere they need to.
Mindfulness works for car rides or even at their school desk. Reading this book will make teaching kids ages three to six about mindfulness fun and relaxing because of the soothing words. It’s an ideal book for stressed, anxious, or hyper kids. You can do the meditations together, and both get a few moments of calm throughout the day.
It’s available in Kindle, audiobook, hardcover, illustrated paperback, and spiral-bound formats.
Several reviewers reported that the tracks on the CD weren’t broken into chapters, which made listening to it difficult.
Pros and Cons of Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey (Author), Anni Betts (Illustrator)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book teaches children ages three to six fifty different mindfulness meditations that they can do anywhere, anytime. | Several reviewers reported that the tracks on the CD weren’t broken into chapters, which made listening to it difficult. |
| Reading this book makes teaching kids about mindfulness fun and relaxing because of the soothing words. | |
| This title is ideal for stressed, anxious, or hyper kids. | |
| You can do the meditations together so you’ll both can experience a few moments of calm. | |
| It’s available in Kindle, audiobook, hardcover, illustrated paperback, and spiral-bound formats. |
- Teaches children mindfulness techniques
- Great for long car rides
- Helpful tool for teaching kids to manage their emotions
6. I’m Going to Give You a Bear Hug! by Caroline B. Cooney (Author), Tim Warnes (Illustrator)
Reading with kids is widely known for providing many benefits. It can give you opportunities to bond with your child because of how often this will be popular for story time or bedtime.
This book is a fantastic book to spend quality time with your kid — the book list several silly and fun ways to give hugs in a happy tone. During and after reading, your little one will be giggly, trying to come up with even more odd or funny hugs.
Aside from the beautiful images inside, parents love that the book comes with hugs. Reading about hugs is the perfect chance to sneak some into story time. Your kid could be like the many who gave away hugs the whole story. Isn’t the best story one with hugs?
This title is written to help infants to four-year-old kids fall asleep. It’s available in Kindle, hardcover picture book, paperback picture book, and illustrated board book formats.
One reviewer said, “The quick pace, sing song rhyme and repetitive nature of this book began grating on my nerves on the second reading. I would not recommend reading this with hopes of soothing a toddler right before bedtime.” Another said that they found the idea of being hugged by some of the animals featured in the book disturbing.
Pros and Cons of I’m Going to Give You a Bear Hug! by Caroline B. Cooney (Author), Tim Warnes (Illustrator)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book lists a variety of silly and fun ways to give hugs. | One reviewer said, “The quick pace, sing song rhyme and repetitive nature of this book began grating on my nerves on the second reading. I would not recommend reading this with hopes of soothing a toddler right before bedtime.” |
| The illustrations are lively and silly and will appeal to small children. | Another said that they found the idea of being hugged by some of the animals featured in the book disturbing. |
| The book is intended to lull kids to sleep. | |
| It’s available in Kindle, hardcover picture book, paperback picture book, and illustrated board book formats. |
- Gives you opportunities to bond with your child
- Beautiful images
- Heartwarming story about hugs
7. Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! by Maureen Wright (Author), Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)
The exciting pictures are a combination of colored pencils and mixed media. It has cohesive colors, and children love them. How the story flows is a fun repetitive way. Some parents said it was a good lesson for kids on how they should trust themselves, while others said it was great for kids to ask more questions for clarity.
The story has two main characters: Big Bear and Old Man Winter. Old Man Winter is trying to tell Big Bear to go to sleep for the winter. But Big Bear is hard of hearing and confuses everything Old Man Winter tells him!
After several confusing misunderstandings of what was said, Old Man Winter has to try an obnoxious way to get the bear to understand what he is saying. Will the bear finally hear that he needs to go to sleep, or will he hear drive a jeep? See for yourself with your little one!
This title is ideal for kids ages two to six. It’s available in Kindle, hardcover, and paperback formats.
Several reviewers reported experiencing difficulties reading this book in Kindle format.
Pros and Cons of Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! by Maureen Wright (Author), Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The illustrations combine colored pencils and mixed media and feature cohesive colors that kids love. | Several reviewers reported experiencing difficulties reading this book in Kindle format. |
| The story flows in a fun, repetitive manner. | |
| Some parents said that the book provided a good lesson for how kids should trust themselves. Others said that it encouraged kids to ask questions for clarity. | |
| The book features Big Bear and Old Man Winter. The latter repeatedly tells Big Bear, who is hard of hearing, to go to sleep. | |
| Will Big Bear ever understand what Old Man Winter is telling him to do? | |
| This title is ideal for kids ages two to six and is available in Kindle, hardcover, and paperback formats. |
- Good lesson for kids on how they should trust themselves
- Teaches kids to ask questions
- Wonderful pictures
8. Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
Bruce the bear is a loner who loves to eat eggs. But one day he loses his appetite when he discovers that his hard-boiled goose eggs contain baby goslings! And if that weren’t bad enough, it turns out that the baby geese think he’s their mom!
In this title, which is the first in a series of nine Mother Bruce books, poor Bruce tries to convince the geese to fly south — but they don’t want to leave their “mother”! The story is just as funny as it sounds. Kids ages two to five will laugh at this one for sure!
Parents and teachers who bought this book were so impressed with how entertaining it was that they purchased several copies to share with others. They used them as gifts for special occasions and got terrific feedback about how great this silly story was for their kids.
It’s available in Kindle, audiobook, hardcover picture book, and paperback formats.
A few reviewers said that they didn’t like this story, with one saying that the “main character is a violent bully, not a grump.”
Pros and Cons of Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This book, which is the first in a series of nine Mother Bruce tales, is about a solitary bear that loves to eat hardboiled eggs. Unfortunately, one day, his “hardboiled” goose eggs contain live goslings that think Bruce is their mother! | A few reviewers said that they didn’t like this story, with one saying that the “main character is a violent bully, not a grump.” |
| Bruce tries to convince the geese to fly south, but they don’t want to leave him. | |
| It’s ideal for kids ages two to five. | |
| It’s available in Kindle, audiobook, hardcover picture book, and paperback formats. |
- Silly story kids will enjoy
- Very funny
- Lots of lovey illustrations
Choosing the Best Children’s Book About Bears
How do you choose which one would be best for your child? First, check whether the book you have in mind is appropriate for their age. Books that are too “babyish” can be frustrating for older kids, while books that are too difficult will quickly lose small children’s attention.
Next, decide what you want the book to do. Are you looking for a book to make your child laugh, to teach them a new skill or lesson, or to put them to sleep? We deliberately selected several types of children’s books about bears for this review. Our list includes books that teach lessons about eating right and exercising and trusting oneself, rhyming books, a tall tale, a book on learning a skill (mindfulness meditation), using one’s imagination, and a laugh out loud silly story. One of these is sure to be right for your child.
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