MarthaGreat

Great Bears of Film and Fiction
By Nancy Kamp

It's hard to be a child without some exposure to one or more of the famous bears of our time. We're highlighting a few of our very favorites - just in case you or your kids missed one because these guys are all worth meeting.

Bad News Bears - The Bad News Bears presents the perfect opportunity to introduce your kids to the late, great Walter Matthau. It also reminds us of the good, the not so good and the comic possibilities in youth team sports. Enjoy!

Bear in the Big Blue House - This big bear came along from the Muppet folks in time to entertain the younger generation of kids in our family.

He got his start in a television show geared for preschoolers and has branched into videos, DVDs, books and music. Bear's curiosity and patience with his small friends endear him to his fans and their parents.

Berenstain Bears - My kids grew up demanding "Stain" Bear stories - I must have read them until I was hoarse - because children can relate to the lives of this loving if slightly imperfect family.

A visit to Bear Country is full of activities and lessons in life. I still love this series.

Brother Bear - Disney set out to make a new classic in this mostly hand-animated coming of age series. The moose steal the show.

Care Bears - Adults who grew up with the Care Bears are often nostalgic about them, but I'm far enough removed from having a young child in the house to confess I'm no longer an expert in what fascinates the toddler set. Still, you can't have too much love and caring in your life - even if the animation is no longer state of the art.

The Country Bears - You may remember the Disney theme park attraction, Country Bear Jamboree. In 2002, Disney released a movie based on this musical tribute to bear hillbillies. The film got mixed reviews, but younger audiences seem to love it.

Little Bear - There are several different Little Bears living in sweet and gentle worlds. I don't believe you can go wrong with any of them.

Martha Bear - When Jane Marie and I first considered Martha Bear as our very own SpokesBear, we had no idea Martha's adventures would be so entertaining. And while my sister gets all the credit for creating Martha Bear and her world, I can certainly put myself forward as the number one fan of the blind white bear who sees with her heart.

We have a lot of hopes and dreams for Martha and company, but no matter how successful those plans may be, we know Martha Bear will always be humble and loving. Yay, Martha!

Our Bear Stories - complete list in the right column

Martha's Bear Shirts and Stuff

Paddington Bear - I still read the occasional Paddington Bear story. His mishaps - usually caused by "act of bear" - remind me of our Teddy O. And though I've never been to Darkest Peru, where Paddington grew up with his Aunt Lucy, I have seen the hustle and bustle of London and I'm not sure I'd do any better than Paddington at navigating my way through big city life. Fortunately, Paddington and I both have our own Brown families for love and support.

Paddington's creator, Michael Bond said, "The great advantage of having a bear as a central character is that he can combine the innocence of a child with the sophistication of an adult."

The Three Bears - The fairy tale of Goldilocks and The Three Bears has introduced millions of children to the lessons of trust and responsibility. It's available in lots of forms - books, cassettes, etc., but if you've never seen a film in the Faerie Tale Theatre series, you are in for a treat. Producer Shelley Duvall took each classic story, adding humor and outstanding actors to make these movies into gems no collection should be without.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears stars Tatum O'Neal as Goldilocks, Hoyt Axton as a forest ranger and Alex Karras, Brandis Kemp and Donovan Scott as The Three Bears. Four thumbs up.

Winnie the Pooh - As a small child, our CDO loved Pooh and his friends more than any other characters. They still hold a special place in her heart.

There was once a real Winnie - a small Canadian bear cub who grew up in the London Zoo to delight children and inspire A. A. Milne's wonderfully gentle world. Tigger, Piglet and the gang in the 100-Acre-Wood went to new heights and reached millions more through their television and film careers with Disney. And if Pooh is really a Bear of Very Little Brain, he can, nevertheless, touch hearts everywhere.

Yogi Bear - There's a certain obligation when you're smarter than the average bear, and no one can say Yogi Bear doesn't have his priorities in order. Food and fun and friends are a happy combination in this classic cartoon character.

There are lots of good bear characters out there. I will never forget Mr. Bear Squash You All Flat, a favorite book of my childhood that I assumed was long out of print. Happily for me, it isn't (see right column).

You probably have some beary special memories of your own that your children would love as much as you did. Why not introduce them to each other today?

Our Bear Stories

↑
What's this?

Our Bear Stories

Bear Books ↓

Bear DVDs ↓

Daniel Pinkwater has written quite few cute and quirky children's books that catch the imagination. But I laughed out loud when I read the adventures of Irving and Muktuk, Two Bad Bears, who spend their lives stealing muffins. Your children will enjoy them too! Nancy

PS Fortunately for the kid in all of us, Pinkwater and his illustrator wife, Jill Pinkwater, have turned the adventures of the Two Bad Bears into a series. Bad Bears in the Big City is just as good as the original, though Bad Bears and a Bunny just gets a B+.

If a book you're looking for is out of print, click on any link to Amazon Books Home Page, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, or Alibris to find out if it is available as a used book.

Mini Book Review List

Our Bear Stories