Goodnight Baby Bear by Michael Shoulders, illustrated by Teri WeidnerBack-of-the-book blurb: Baby Bear shares special moments with all the important people in his life. With Momma, he gets to spend time in the garden, picnicking and planting butterfly bushes. With Daddy, he spends time on the farm, helping to fix the tractor and dig holes for planting. Aunt Grace takes him to the aquarium and answers all his questions, while Uncle Roy shows him how to be a clown. And it’s always a special day when Nana comes to visit.
But while each day’s activity and companion may be different, the routine at the end is always the same. Baby Bear is tucked into bed with a reading from a special book and always with a honey oatmeal raisin cookie
She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: Did you happen to read the New York Times yesterday? This article (“Picture Books, Long a Staple, Lose Out in the Rush to Read”) discussed the downturn in sales of picture books, and attributed it to not only the economy, but also, in large amount, to parents competetively pressing their young children on to chapter books.
Picture books are meant to live on our shelves (and in piles on the floor, and on bedside tables) for years! They’re meant to be dipped into when our kids (or we) need comfort, or a lesson, or a friend. Our children shouldn’t age out of picture books when they hit school age; they need to be able to visit the familiarity of a favorite book, like returning home after an adventure.
Goodnight Baby Bear tells the story of a young bear who goes on adventures close to home with his family members. Their tradition of cookies and a bedtime story immediately comes to mind when I think about picture books and the longevity they deserve.
The bulk of the story shows Baby Bear spending time with various members of his family, creating memories together. At the end of each day, that person (um, bear) reads Baby Bear a personally inscribed book as they settle down with honey oatmeal raisin cookies. The final words of each book share insight about self worth, confidence, bravery, laughter, friendship, and love.
For example, a day with Daddy Bear includes playing with a toy tractor, planting acorns together, and leading the way home. As they snuggle in bed at night, Daddy Bear reads the inscription, “… remember the day we planted a mighty oak. Love, Daddy,” and Baby Bear falls asleep to the final sentence:
As time passed, birds, squirrels, and honeybees called the tree home, thanks to a tiny acorn.
I’ve always appreciated the symbolism of acorns growing into mighty oaks, and think it’s a great way to show children that little words and actions (and small children) can make a big difference.
The text is accompanied by sweet watercolor illustrations from RISD graduate Teri Weidner.
Dr. Michael Shoulders is an educator who has authored a number of children’s picture books. His message, “Reading is Magic,” is clearly demonstrated in Goodnight Baby Bear. The jacket flap gently guides:
Find someone you love; pick out a good book; bake a batch of cookies **, using this books’ recipe; and start your own family traditions to help savor the memories.
Personally inscribing a picture book to a child – for a birthday, a holiday, or “just because” – attaches something tangible to those memories. And when the picture books stay on the shelves past age 5 (to ages 15, 25, or beyond), they are true treasures.
** Yes, that’s the tease. There’s a yummy sounding recipe for Beary Special Honey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies at the back of the book!
This sounds precious! I think the entire debate over picture books is interesting. We’re getting ready to do our book fair at school and I bet we don’t see a decline in picture book sales!
My oldest son let me read picture books to him through the first grade, but then his reading skills took off and he didn’t want to be read to anymore (although I do try to read chapter books to both boys). My youngest wanted to be so much like his older brother that he insisted on only checking out chapter books even when he was three.
We’d go to the book store and they were the only thing he would have an interest in. I’ve had to be very clever about finding ways to read him picture books, ordering them without his knowledge and then reading them to him before he could object. He almost always loves them, but still refuses to check them out from the library. Thankfully his kindergarten teacher will only allow him to check out picture books from the school library, so we’ve been able to read more of them together recently.
This one sounds very sweet!
I’m all for books with cookie recipes in them!
And I like your thoughts on the New York Times article. There is something comforting about dipping back into your beloved books (even in your 40s).
My nephews would love this, thanks!
[...] Goodnight Baby Bear by Michael Shoulders [...]