Children’s books about bears are delightful to read with kids who sleep with a cherished teddy each night. We adore these sweet stories about everyone’s favorite stuffed animal. Check them out!
Children’s books about bears bring beloved stuffed animals to life.
Something magical happens when children can see themselves, or things they love, in stories. Their eyes sparkle. Their grins are joyful. They fall in love with reading.
And so it is with children’s books about bears. Many kids have favorite stuffed animals, also called transitional objects, that go with them everywhere. These stuffies share our kids’ beds, go with them to doctor appointments and on airplanes, and even get passed around to classmates at show and tell. Stuffed animals act as pillows, tissues, and friends at fancy tea parties, and they even somehow get blamed for our kids’ mischievous behaviors.
So when a stuffed animal is featured in a book? Magic happens.
Children’s bear books normalize having a favorite transitional object.
Some kids get shy about their transitional objects, especially as they get older. Children’s books about bears, however, help all kiddos recognize that having a cherished stuffed animal is a normal part of growing up. Stuffed animals and childhood are like peanut butter and jelly – they go hand in hand!
If your child gets embarrassed about going to a sleepover with his beloved teddy bear, just grab some of these books and let him see himself in the story. There is nothing better!
Most of the books below are about lovable stuffed teddy bears. Some, however, are just darling children’s books about bears that we have fallen for, head over heels. We hope these books make bedtime at your house as special as they do at ours. Enjoy, and happy reading!
RELATED: We’ve got more than 100 children’s book lists on Happily Ever Elephants. Be sure to check out this link!
Frequently asked questions
Kids love reading about things that are important to them, and what’s more important than their beloved teddy bears? These books bring their beloved stuffies to life, and they teach children important life skills through safe and charming characters, too.
Winnie the Pooh, Paddington, and Corduroy, of course! These bears have stood the test of time, and each of these lovable teddies have been cherished for decades by millions of children. Their stories are pure magic and must-haves for all kids!
I am so in love with Bear is a Bear, by Jonathan Stutzman and Dan Santat, and Louis, by Tom Lichtenheld and Julie Rowan-Zoch. Both of these are darling, tender kids’ books about bears, and they are not to be missed for any child with a favorite teddy!
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We love these children’s books about bears!
Some teddy bears are there for all of the ups and downs of their owners’ lives. Bears can be our best friends, protectors, and biggest supporters. But what happens when it comes time to say goodbye to our best buddies? Will we ever find the right moment to say “hello” again? Stutzman’s prose and Santat’s illustrations make this children’s book about bears just perfect!
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Poor Teddy. He can bear the indignity of being dragged around no more! He doesn’t want to be a tissue, he doesn’t want to be hung out to dry, and he certainly doesn’t want to be lunch for a prehistoric beast. Should he run away? Or are things actually just right with his beloved boy? We can’t get enough of this children’s book about bears. It’s one of our very favorites!
Do your children have a stuffie that goes on adventures with them every day? Is that stuffie chewed and tattered and torn, but still your kiddo’s most prized possession? This is a whimsical and tender story about a boy and his beloved bear, Stripy Ted, who weather all kinds of journeys together. And when Stripy Ted loses a leg, or an eye, or yet his other leg – the boy still thinks he’s just right. This is a beautiful ode to your child’s favorite toy!
In this classic, darling read-aloud book about bears, poor Eddy has lost Freddy, his teddy, so he goes off into the woods to find him. But what happens in the dark woods when he discovers his teddy is way too big to snuggle? Is there a case of mistaken identity afoot? This one never fails to make us laugh!
One day, Nelly asks bear what kind of bear he is, and the poor bear doesn’t know how to answer! He decides he must find out exactly what he is, but none of the other bears he meets on his journey are quite like him. Some don’t have stitching, others don’t have tags, and most aren’t nearly as soft. He is quite discouraged, only to realize when he returns to Nelly that he’s actually the very best kind of bear there is.
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In this adorable counting book, one Ted falls out of bed… and since his’ owner has two eyes shut tight, he can’t climb back up to snuggle between the sheets! Three mice then whisk Ted away, and Ted proceeds to have an awesome bedtime adventure. This children’s book about bears is just darling, and a great way to perfect counting skills as well!
Paddington first meets the Browns at Paddington Station, after traveling all the way from Peru! And one thing is for sure, the Browns’ lives will never be the same because life becomes extraordinary with Paddington Bear involved. Paddington has enthralled young readers for decades, with his lovable personality and hilarious misadventures. This children’s book about bears is a classic, sure to be loved by future generations as well!
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Corduroy has been cherished by children for more than fifty years! Poor Corduroy has been resting atop a department store shelf for way too long. But when Lisa sees him, she falls in love, even though he’s a bit worn and missing a button! Corduroy has to spruce himself up, and what better place to do so than throughout the department store? This sweet story of friendship and unconditional love is a forever favorite, sure to charm every young reader!
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Winnie the Pooh has been adored by readers since 1926, nearly one hundred years! Together with his friends Piglet, Owl, Tigger, and Eeyore, the animals live in Hundred Acre Wood where they have tons of adventures with their pal, Christopher Robin. With themes of companionship, courage, and loyalty, these stories have stood the test of time and delighted readers around the world for nearly a century. For a fabulous true story about the world’s most famous bear, make sure to check out Finding Winnie, too!
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If you’ve ever wondered what your beloved stuffed animals do when you aren’t looking, this is the book for you! In this funny children’s book about bears, one mischievous stuffie invites all of his stuffed animal friends over for a wild party. There’s painting and jumping on beds and even prancing around in their owners’ clothes. But what happens when the police show up? UH OH. It’s stuffie mayhem!
This is such a beautiful book inspired by a true story. When a young girl sees an empty lot in the city, she sees a place to grow and play. With the help of her stuffed bear, she sets out to transform the space into a gorgeous garden. We love the way this book celebrates communities coming together to create beauty for the neighborhood!
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My’s grandmother made Teddy for My when she was just an infant. The two were made for each other, and Teddy is there every step of the way as My grows. But when My gets bigger, she needs Teddy less and less. When My’s baby brother arrives, My knows that her new baby will need Teddy just as much as she once did – and in a tender, kind gesture, she gives Teddy to her baby brother. This darling children’s book about bears is an ode to stuffed animals, the roles they play in children’s lives, and the welcoming of a new baby to the family.
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This sweet, sweet book is a showstopper! What happens when a balloon floats into a little bear’s life? The two embark on a magical journey of discovery – and friendship, too. They walk together, they talk together – and bear learns all about love and loss. This book is absolutely beautiful, and the illustrations are gorgeous, too!
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Adelaide is the only kid in class who isn’t assigned a reading buddy. But she swears to her teacher that she has the only buddy she needs: a bear! She’s quite convincing as she persuades her teacher that bears make perfect buddies because they can sniff out the best books, and their claws are absolutely perfect for turning pages. One thing is for certain, your little ones will be sharing their favorite books with their stuffed teddies after reading this delightful children’s book about bears!
Four cute bears. Four perfectly-sized chairs. But, uh oh. here comes the big bear, and he’s got quite a stare! Can the four little bears make space for one more? In this adorable rhyming book, young readers learn there is room for all. This is a perfect preschool read-aloud book for storytime!
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RELATED: We’ve got a fabulous list of kindergarten read-alouds for you on Happily Ever Elephants, so be sure to check them out!
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