The following books are recommended for as good reading for preschoolers
by the Nassau Library System and the Long Beach Public Library.

Biography | Easy Readers | Fiction
Folk and Fairy Tales | History | Non-Fiction
Picture Books

BIOGRAPHY

Down a Sunny Dirt Road by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Stan and Jan Berenstain, creators of the Berenstain bears, tell their story.

Don't You Dare Shoot That Bear! by Robert Quackenbush
A humorous biography of Theodore Roosevelt, emphasizing his love of animals and wildlife and his activities as a conservationist.

EASY-READERS

Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik
Little Bear's four adventures include taking a trip to the moon and having a birthday.

FICTION

Paddington Bear by Michael Bond
While waiting for their daughters to arrive at Paddington Station, Mr. and Mrs. Brown spot a small bear and take him home to join their family.

Beardance by Will Hobbs
While accompanying an elderly rancher on a trip into the mountains, Cloyd, a Ute Indian boy, tries to help two orphaned grizzly cubs survive the winter and, at the same time, complete his spirit mission.

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
The adventures of Christopher Robin and his friends, in which Pooh Bear uses a balloon to get honey, Piglet meats a Heffalump, and Eyeore has a birthday.

Gentle Ben by Walt Morey
Traces the friendship between a boy and a bear in the rugged Alaskan Territory.

FOLK TALES

Goldilocks and the Three Bears retold by Jan Brett
Lost in the woods, a tired and hungry girl finds the house of the three bears where she helps herself to food and goes to sleep.

Once There Were No Pandas by Margaret Greaves
In the forests of China in ancient times, a small girl's sacrifice for a friendly white bear brings about the appearance of the first pandas.

HISTORY

A Tale of Two Teddies by Kathleen Bart
The first teddy bears tell their stories.

NON-FICTION

Polar Bears by Gail Gibbons
Gibbons packs this picture book full of facts about the Arctic animal.

Bears by Deborah Hodge
Polar bears, black bears, and grizzly bears are examined in depth.

The First Teddy Bear by Helen Kay
Describes how the first Teddy Bear stuffed toy originated when it was inspired by President Theodore Roosevelt's refusal to shoot a little bear during a hunt.

Make Your Own Teddy Bears & Bear Clothes by Sue Mahren
This Quick Starts for Kids book provides step-by-step instructions for making a teddy bear & clothes.

How Teddy Bears Are Made by Ann Morris
Bright photographs depict three young children touring a teddy bear factory in Vermont to see how the stuffed toys are made.

Little Panda by Joanne Ryder
Ryder's photo-essay chronicles the life of Hua Mei, born at the World Famous San Diego Zoo in 1999.

PICTURE BOOKS

Milo's Hat Trick by Jon Agee
Milo is a hopeless magician who catches a bear instead of a rabbit, but the bear's sensational hat trick just might save Milo's magic act.

Where's My Teddy? Jez Alborough
When a small boy named Eddie goes searching for his lost teddy in the dark woods, he comes across a gigantic bear with a similar problem.

Willow On the River by Camilla Ashforth
After doing his chores around the farm, Willow sets off for a day of fun, rowing, picnicking, and playing on the river.

Jason's Bears by Marion Dane Bauer
Jason's enthusiasm for bears is dampened when his big brother tells him that they are going to eat him up.

Berlioz: the Bear by Jan Brett
Berlioz the bear and his fellow musicians are due to play for the town ball when their bandwagon becomes stuck in a hole in the road.

My Brown Bear Barney by Dorothy Butler
On her many travels, a small girl takes many things, especially her brown bear Barney.

It's About Time, Jesse Bear, and Other Rhymes by Nancy White Carlstram
From early morning to bedtime, rhymes, present the activities of Jesse Bear as he dresses, plays, eats, and gets ready for bed.

Sleepy Bear by Lydia Dabcovich
Shows Bear getting ready for his long winter's nap, or hibernation, and his springtime awakening.

Jamberry by Bruce Degan
A little boy walking in the forest meets a big lovable bear that takes him on a delicious berry-picking adventure in the magical world of Berryland.

Corduroy by Don Freeman
A toy bear in a department store wants a number of things, but when a little girl finally buys him, he finds what he has always wanted most of all.

Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D.B. Johnson
When a treasured teddy bear becomes so worn that it is mistaken for a monkey, a little girl and her mother decide to restore Bear to "his good old self."

The Teddy Bears' Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy
This decades-old song describes the teddy bears' grand picnic in the woods.

Blueberries for Sale by Robert McCloskey
Little Sal and Little Bear both lose their mothers while eating blueberries and almost end up with the other's mother.

The Teddy Bear by David McPhail
A teddy bear, lost by the little boy who loves him, still feels loved after being rescued by a homeless man.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Brave bear hunters go through the grass, a river, mud, and other obstacles before the inevitable encounter with the bear forces a headlong retreat.

Can't You Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell
When bedtime comes, Little Bear is afraid of the dark, until Big Bear brings him light and love.