Little Bear (book series)

• Little Bear: A friendly, curious, and imaginative bear cub who lives in the forest. • Mother Bear: Little Bear's loving mother, who is always there for her son. • Father Bear: Little Bear's father, a fisherman who is often away at sea. • Grandmother Bear: Little Bear's grandmother, a kind old bear who bakes cakes and tells stories. • Grandfather Bear: Little Bear's grandfather, a jolly old bear who plays with his grandson and tells stories. • Cat, Duck, Hen, and Owl: Little Bear's animal friends. • Emily: A girl who Little Bear meets and befriends. == Author ==

Else Holmelund Minarik had a long career in writing. She wrote many books, including the entire Little Bear series. Minarik was born in Denmark in 1920, then moved to New York when she was four years old. She always loved the fairy tales written by Hans Christian Andersen, inspiring her own writing. She studied Art and Psychology at Queens College, before working as a reporter for the Daily Sentinel of Rome, New York. Shortly thereafter, however, Minarik took up a job as a first-grade teacher on Long Island. Her teaching career, as well as her daughter, inspired her to finally write Little Bear in 1957. Before publishing with Harper, Minarik showed Little Bear to Random House, where an editor made a suggestion to change the bears into humans, which she disagreed with. Thirty-four Little Bear books later, Minarik died at the age of 91 in 2012 after her final Little Bear book was published in 2010. == Illustrators ==

Maurice Sendak illustrated the first five Little Bear books. He died in 2012 at the age of 83. The Snowball Fight, and Lucky Little Bear. Chris Hahner illustrated twelve Little Bear books based on episodes of the Little Bear TV series, I Miss You, Father Bear, and ''The Toys' Wedding''. Heather Green illustrated ''Little Bear's New Friend and Little Bear's Valentine, based on The Little Bear Movie and an episode of the Little Bear TV series respectively. and Mother Bear's Picnic, based on episodes of the Little Bear'' TV series. == Installments ==

Books Collections == Reception ==

Little Bear has been recognized as an ALA Notable Children's Book and named "one of the best children's books of the previous half century" by The New York Times Book Review in 1997. Critics appreciated the "crystalline accessibility" and "evocative warmth" of Else Holmelund Minarik's prose, as well as Maurice Sendak's "Victorian-inflected" illustrations, which Anna K. Reynolds of Inspire Virtue described as "expressive and evocative," not cartoony. In 1962, ''Little Bear's Visit was awarded a Caldecott Honor. Margalit Fox of The New York Times described the text of Little Bear'' as embodying "the exquisite simplicity of a haiku poem," citing the opening lines of the first book: == References ==