Click here to download the cover of Little Bear Takes a Winter Nap.
About “Little Bear Takes a Winter Nap”
“Little Bear Takes a Winter Nap” is a gentle and heartwarming story about how a Mama bear takes care of her little cub through the cold winter. In this charming book, Mama Bear shows love and devotion to her baby, throughout the natural process of hibernation.
This bear book is engaging and can be read at all times, but it was written as a bedtime story to lull little ones into a loving slumber. Thanks to the rhymes in the story, it does just that. It is just the right length to be added to your short bedtime stories collection.
Readers follow Mama and cub as they prepare for their winter rest and say goodbye to friends, all the way to when “spring makes its way to the world once again.”
The Inspiration for “Little Bear Takes a Winter Nap”
I read somewhere that if you question whether you’re a good parent or not, then you’re probably a good parent. The idea is that the mere fact of questioning it, means you’re trying to be a good parent.
It was THAT kind of thinking that led to this book because, as a mother of 5, I’m often worried about whether I’m giving each child the attention that they deserve. I also worry whether they know how much I love them. By writing this book and then reading it to them, I wanted to create the feeling of unlimited and unconditional love and affection.
Throughout our bedtime routine, I want them to feel utterly loved and adored. However, by the time they do go off to sleep, I can barely keep my own eyes open. Therefore, I search for 5 minute bedtime stories, so that I can also get to bed fast. “Little Bear Takes a Winter Nap” does just that. It’s one of our favorite bedtime stories for kids. I have to read it A LOT, which means that by now, I know the book by heart.
Before I wrote “Little Bear Takes a Winter Nap”, I had already written a few books. But, I had not written a bedtime story that I felt was endearing and gentle and loving. People often talk about “The Brave Silly Rabbit” being a great book for children but while I also love it, it is not necessarily my go-to book for short bedtime stories. That’s because when I read that to my children, we’re all giggling about the silly bunny. And while that is wonderful, my goal is to get them to sleep – not giggle.
I could have chosen to do a book about any animal but I wanted to do a bear book because bears are fluffy and cuddly. I thought that would be a wonderful start.
The book was illustrated by Valeriia Koronets – one of my favorite illustrators. I love how she laid everything out in soft winter colors. I had no idea how she was going to do it. Her illustrations, along with the design work of Eva Po, left me very impressed with the end result. I often like books with bright colors, like Hello from Around The World, but I felt that as a bedtime story for kids, we wanted it to be soft and gentle, so as not to overexcite the kiddos.
My children love the softness of the illustrations. That, along with the rhyming words and the story of love and affection, lulls them gently into a deep slumber.
I hope my bear book will become one of your favorite short bedtime stories. As with us, I also hope that while you are reading it to your child, they gently fall into a slumber with a feeling of love and devotion.
Gioula Chelten
