to be sick to back teeth of bloody bears!

[Notcopingwellhere]

My DS is almost 3 and like every other child that age loves a story or twenty at bed time.

I often go to the library to stock up and it has really struck me how many kids’ books are stuffed to the brim with bears. Bloody bears everywhere. Polar bears, pandas, hibernating bears, bears with guns (I am looking at you Janet and Allan Ahlberg), bears eating ice cream/honey/porridge/berries/marmalade sandwiches but never baby seals or weasels. Surely we have reached Peak Bear?!

And don’t get me started on the foxes- one minute a fox is about to eat a mouse in the Gruffalo then you start the next book (by the same author!) and Mr Fox is wearing a bow tie and living in a house with a mouse who is always losing his socks.

I thought I quite liked animals until I had a child. Now I never want to see another pig for as long as I live.

Thank goodness for Sue Hendra- Simon Sock is my saviour.

I like bears!

www.amazon.com/No-Bears-Meg-McKinlay/dp/0763658901?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Hear hear. See also: Peace at Last. “Bear” was one of DD’s first words so every other conversation is me saying “Yes darling, that’s a bear.” Sigh.

I like bears too 🐻

Ha ha, I like it Iris. Thought it looks from the synopsis that Young Ella is thwarted in her quest to go bear-free.

Maybe I should try that, kind of like a dietary preference “sorry, we can’t have that book, my DS is bear-free”.

We have all the usual bears. Plus my DD calls my niece Bear as she can’t say her name. So every other word is bear in this house!

I dont think we have that many bear stories

Agreed we are peak bear in this house too. I like the books 'I am Bat' and 'Penguin Problems' partly because they don't have bears in!

I love bears. I have a dolls house which is home to an extended family of bears, and I’m just starting a Goldilocks and the three bears Tom box!

Bears are wonderful!

We have reached peak unicorn in my house.

I’d love a break from unicorns.

This is discrimination. I am personally offended.

You will have your comeuppance, my friend.

I think that the canon for the 18 months to 3 years age is particularly bear-heavy. I’m hoping we emerge soon, but not sure that I am massively ready for the advent of dinosaurs either. Bears are the worst culprits but I just feel like my life has been overrun by animals since I had a baby!

We just have sea creatures in every book. My attempts to read something else end in dramatic wailing and begging for octopus/squid/whales/fish.

Here OP, most definitely NOT a bear!

You think bears are bad.

I have 70 different Thomas books. I’ve hit peak vintage vehicle

YANBU. Back in the day we avoided all those generic bear stories as much as we could, except for Jane Hissey's books which are wonderful. Now ds talks of nothing but supervillains wielding military spaceships bristling with hi-tech weaponry and I would love a spot of chat about a harmless bear or two!

In our house it's Mog, my daughter has tonnes of books but always wants Mog, it's driving my husband mad as he's the usual storyteller
:-D
He keeps trying to sway her towards Kipper but is failing

Anthropomorphised animals are popular in children's books because they don't have a race or obvious gender attached. Look at the Debi Gilori books with the Fox family. We never find out if Big is male or female, nor if Small is a son or daughter (or indeed a niece, nephew or grandchild).

There should however, be fewer bears and more otters.

Ah Albus, I feel your pain! Got the full collection here as well. I particularly dread reading any of the stories focused on Donald & Douglas as I can't do the Scottish accent!

Stop ursine about

Remember when my son was little .loved "Going On A Bear Hunt" .When I worked at a Nursery a few years later .Guess What the favourite book of one little boy was !.Must have read it dozens of times!

Have you read Mother Bruce? I love it.

there should be more otters

that's a very good point!

Ho ho iklboo stop, I can’t bear it 😀.

I had forgotten about Thomas, I remember trying to read that to a friend’s child once a long time ago, it was torture. You’re right, if he discovers those I will beg for bears.

Actually I think that the truth is that I idolise Paddington and feel that all other bears are second rate by comparison.

@dottiedodah Michael Rosen was standing behind me at a local event the other week. I should have asked him what was with all the bears .

What's your position on monsters? I recommend Morris the Mankiest Monster. It's a bear-free zone.