Day 44: Little Bear's Visit

Along with the Frog and Toad, the Little Bear books are those which I remember most vividly and fondly from my childhood.  There are several in the Little Bear series by Else Holmelund Minarik, but Little Bear's Visit has to be my favorite.  I was thrilled to get this book for my son a while back and read it with him as my mother read it to me.  Like the other Little Bear "I Can Read" stories, this one has several "chapters" that flow nicely into one another:  Grandmother and Grandfather Bear, Mother Bear's Robin, Goblin Story, and Not Tired.  The stories are sweet and entertaining, and Maurice Sendak's illustrations are wonderful.  My son's favorite chapter is the Goblin Story and he loves to recite it aloud to me in between giggles.  "He got so scared that he jumped right out of his shoes!"  I love Mother Bear's Robin, too, and every parent will be able to relate to Not Tired, especially when reading it right before bed.  There is something about the combination of Sendak's soft, expressive illustrations and Minarik's endearing, charming stories that make the Little Bear books timeless classics.  As my son and I snuggled up to read Little Bear's Visit before bed last night, I knew it would be the perfect book to feature today.  My dad and stepmother had just come to visit for the day yesterday, so my little cubs were thrilled to have had a visit from their Grandma and Grandpa Bears.  We've been spending lots of time outside during these beautiful spring days and enjoying the company of our own families of robins in the yard.  And, we read the Goblin Story four times in a row last night, since my son, of course, is "never tired."  If you have rainy days ahead of you like we do this week, look for these next time you are at the library.  We're sure you and your little bear will love them!