“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” – Winnie the Pooh

Above are some very wise words from one of our most favourite bears of all time: Winnie the Pooh. And I know, Pooh and his friends loved having Picnics in the Hundred-Acre-Wood. As did I when I was quite a bit younger, maybe four or five. It was at this age when I got my favourite teddy bear up to this day and called him Puh-Sonnenbär. I imagined him to be a relative of Winnie the Pooh and I wouldn’t go far without him and my other favourite cuddly toy, they even had to come to the Samaria Gorge where they were carried by my poor father in the end. Also quite disastrous was the one time I thought it a good idea to take Puh-Sonnenbär into the pool with me (“The bear must sweat horribly with his thick fur”, I thought). I am sure, stories and memories like these are present in everyone’s mind and they are good ones. I guess many of you also had tea parties or picnics with your teddy bears or maybe also took them to more exciting adventures.

Here, I also want to present some of the loveliest bear stories I know. However, I am always open to suggestions!

• Winnie the Pooh: The adventures of the beloved bear who loves honey and his friends before anything else in the world is perfect for enoucarging tolerance and understanding for the little perks of people.
• Corduroy: This cute picture book may be for really young students but it still is a heartwarming story about a teddy bear and a little girl who find each other.
• Paddington: The bear who taught us to always bring a marmalade sandwich in case one gets hungry also shows us a great deal of how to act and behave with others respectfully.

Upon all this, I almost feel like taking my Puh-Sonnenbär for a Picnic myself today and I think the beloved companion is a wonderful source for imagination and of course comfort.

Have a lovely Teddy Bear’s Picnic Day!

Sarah-Sophia

“[…] a painter of rainbows is now travelling across the night sky […]” – Family statement, 27th of May 2021

Eric Carle, illustrator and award-winning author of children’s books, died today aged 91. Carle illustrated more than 70 books that are used in primary education up to the present day – among them everlasting tales such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967), The Grouchy Ladybug (1977) and Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me (1986). His popular picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) became a great success and was translated into more than 60 languages.

In silent mourning,

The Editors

“When we read, our minds grow wings; when we write, our fingers sing.” – Margarita Engle

There’s nothing better to escape reality than a good book, for adults and children alike. Books let us lose ourselves in worlds different from our own and are vital for children’s imaginations. This year’s motto for International Children’s Book Day is “The Music of Words”. So, in honour of today, here are some of my favourite picks for young readers! The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne transports its readers into a world full of history and magic, putting a spin on some of history’s major events. If you’re looking for something more “science-y”, The Magic School Bus is the one for you! This series unravels the magic of the human body and the world around us, magical anthropomorphic school bus and all! But just as books let us learn about ourselves, they can also bridge the gap between us and cultures unfamiliar to us. Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard gives insight into Native American culture and the meaning traditional food can hold, complete with a recipe and heartwarming illustrations. The eco-critical picture books Clean Up!, The Boy Who Grew a Forest and Greta and The Giants remind us that no one is too small to make a differernce. Books can teach a multitude of things, but at times the most important part is the reading experience itself. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse features beautiful illustrations along with a story all about friendship that will make you fall in love with reading all over again. But watch out, or you’ll turn out like The Incredible Book Eating Boy! 

Check out our previous post for some books that are ideal for story-telling and reading aloud in the classroom!

What are some of your favourite nostalgic children’s books? Let us know!

Sarah