Bear with Me

This cute story is about a boy and his teddy bear which tells a beautiful tale about how the teddy bear's life changes as the boy grows up. For many toys as children grow up, they are well-worn, tossed out or given away. We really enjoyed this story as it showed another possibility for a teddy bear, something I have done with my daughter. I think a parent and child will have as precious a time reading this tale as the teddy bear was to the boy.

"Bear With Me," written and illustrated by Dan Stern, is #4 on The Gittle List: Top 10 Self-published Children's Picture Books of 2013!

How many of you shared your deepest secrets with your favorite inanimate object growing up? (I still have my bear somewhere…) These “toys” can provide an emotional safety net to a child. "Bear With Me" is the story of a little boy’s closest friend – his stuffed bear. Dan Stern conveys the emotion of growing up in simple language and illustrations. It
warms my heart every time I read it. "Bear With Me" is the perfect bedtime story for the little ones and their special fiber-filled friends. In trying to mimic a printed book, Mr. Stern is not taking full advantage of the eBook format. A small complaint in
the face of a wonderful story.

(Disclosure: Mr. Stern asked me to provide feedback on "Bear With Me" in October, 2013. In December, 2013, I decided to consider it for The Gittle List: Top 10 Self-published Children's Picture Books for 2013. Winners receive a 5-star review because their book was good enough to make the top 10.)

We may not always admit it, but like Danny, many of us have enjoyed the company of a teddy bear, and slept well because of its untiring guard of sleeping children. As we become more sophisticated in life, the simple pleasures continue to tug our hearts when it comes to children's books. This is a delightful story, with wonderful illustrations and should be shared freely and widely with small children...especially if they don't have a teddy bear. I hope to see a lot more books by this author!
Nancy J. Bell, CEO
Evangelison Productions

Bear With Me is a touching story about the life cycle of a stuffed animal told from the perspective of a teddy bear. Readers will hearken back to their own childhood, to think of the stuffed animals that they held on to sentimentally and, for perhaps a few readers, eventually handed down to a sibling, a cousin, or their own child. The last page reminded me of my own Lassie stuffed animal, dirty from years of play and pretend, and eventually packed--but never thrown--away.

This book is perfect for parents to read to their infants, toddlers, or pre-schoolers, especially on a tablet screen where the child can see the author's vivid, shimmering watercolors and play with the pictures him- or herself.

Great book for a short bed time story.