Bears! Booklist
Bears aren’t just our neighbors in the mountains of Wyoming; they are the subject of endless, delightful, and engaging books for children! The following list is just a snippet of the books with bears in the starring role. There are fictional tales of bears settling in for their winter nap, waking up for mid-winter adventures, white-water rafting on a log, visiting the library, and taking a walk while their porridge or soup cools! Books from National Geographic Kids provide fascinating facts that spark curiosity and build new vocabulary. Choosing books that appeal to young children’s interests can lead to opportunities for developing foundational skills and a love of reading.
Featured Favorites
Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris Illustrated by LeUyen Pham (2019)
“Bear was just being curious when he realized what the river could do, but he didn’t know he was on an adventure…until…Froggy hopped on.”
This Caldecott Honor Book winds through a forest full of adventurous animals as they travel down the river…together. Their rollicking, hilarious journey brings them together because of a river and a bear. “Oh, What a ride!”
Ages baby to 5 years
After the Story
Talk with children about the river near your town or in the book. What kinds of creatures live in that habitat? Invite children to look more closely at the endpapers inside the book’s covers, which show the view of the river from above. What other animals do they see in the illustrations?
Discuss the development of friendships as each animal joined in the fun.
How can playing together and making new friends make everything more fun?
Bear Snores On By Karma Wilson and Illustrated by Jane Chapman (2002)
This wildly popular story begins with a big, hibernating bear snoring through winter in a cave in the woods. A rollicking party ensues as his forest friends gather in his cozy cave. When they wake the snoring bear, he “snarls” and “grumbles” but then joins the party. Bear tells stories throughout the wintry night as his warm and happy friends fall asleep!
After the Story
This book is perfect for kicking off a family reading night event or story time. For more ideas and ways to share this book with children and families, visit the author and illustrator websites!
More Bear Favorites
A Library Book for Bear by Bonny Becker Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton (2014)
Ages 3-7
A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett Art by Shawn Harris (2020)
Ages 3-7
A Story for Bear by Dennis Haseley, illustrated by Jim LaMarche (2018)
Ages 4-8
Baby Bear Sees Blue by Ashley Wolff (2014)
Ages baby-4 years
Bear is Awake by Hannah E Harrison (2019)
Delightful alphabet story!
Ages 3-5 years
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? (1967)
by Bill Martin Jr/Eric Carle Ages Baby to 4 years
In English and Spanish
Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky (1996)
Ages 3-8
Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins (2015)
Ages 2-5 years
The Bear Ate Your Sandwich by Julia Sarcone Roach (2015)
Ages 3-6
The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and THE BIG HUNGRY BEAR by Don and Audrey Wood Illustrated Don Wood (1984)
Ages 1-4 years
Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming (1997)
Ages 2-4 years
We’re Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury (1989)
Ages 2-4 years
The Three Bears Stories from Around the World
Abuelo and The Three Bears by Jerry Tello Illustrations by Ana Lopez Escriva (1997)
Ages 6 and up
Read this book in Spanish and flip it over to read it in English.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears Ricitos de Oro y los tres osos Retold by award-winning author Candice Ransom, Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant
(2005) This is a traditional version of the story with English and Spanish on each page.
Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas by Natasha Yim illustrated by Grace Zong (2015)
A fun version of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears story celebrating the Chinese/Lunar New Year with Chinese American characters and references.
The Three Bears by Paul Galdone (1985)
Ages 2-7
Traditional version of The Three Bears.
The Three Bears of the Pacific Northwest by Richard Vaughan, Marcia Crews Illustrated by Jeremiah Trammell (2016)
Ages Baby to 4 years
The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett (2007) Ages 2-7 years
Set in the Arctic, a young Inuit girl named Aloo-ki has an adventure with three bears when she loses her sled dogs and ends up in the bear's igloo!
Ideas for Sharing Books with Children
Informational Texts
All About Bears National Geographic Kids by Jane Szymanski
(2019) Ages 3-5 years
Let Me Tell You About My Mom Photography by Ron Hayes and written by Casey Rislov with Ron Hayes. (2023) All ages
Picture books about bears and other animals are a great way to introduce children to informational texts. Wyoming author Casey Rislov and photographer Ron Hayes co-created an engaging children’s book about animal moms and their babies in the prairie and mountain habitats of the West. The authors skillfully combined spectacular photography and information in the context of mothers caring for their young. It is perfect for early childhood educators, especially those seeking books to share with mixed-age groups.
Polar Bears National Geographic Readers
by Laura Marsh (2013) Ages 4-7
Check out the following resources for ways to create informational text in early childhood classrooms and at home.
Nurturing Curiosity: Using and Creating Informational Texts
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/dec2019/using-creating-informational-texts
Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Wyoming Wildlife Magazine
Library Connections
Check Out the local library in your Wyoming community. Librarians are an excellent resource and can help you find the perfect books for your classroom, program, or home. If you can’t get to your local library, try the Libby App!
Use your local library card and access the Libby App for children’s books on your phone, tablet, or computer.
https://library.wyo.gov/find-thousands-of-e-books-and-audiobooks-in-gowyld-with-libby
Printable Version of the Booklist Here!