This is a fantastic little book about a bear family. They are all so different and live in different kinds of homes. Also the seasons change in this book. It is a great way to teach children about how people in one family can be so different. ( )

This book is about a family of bears. It is a cute little book about all the things that they do throughout the year. I enjoyed the illustrations in the book and they were very colorful. ( )

After hearing people mention this frequently as an old favorite on various blogs and in the library, I finally found a copy to see what all the fuss was about.

On the surface, it's a very repetitive, simple story. Fourteen bears, two parents and twelve children, live in various tree houses and go through seasonal activities. The illustrations are bright and slightly cartoonish.

However, the appeal to children - and adults - is also easy to see. The backgrounds and details, especially the woodland creatures and plants, are beautifully drawn. The story is simple but not overly sweet or kidsy and the repetition is comforting. The story is classic in its simplicity and appeal and deserves to be remembered and reprinted.

Verdict: I can see a market for this if it was ever brought back into print.

ISBN: 978-0375832796; This edition published April 2005 by Golden Books (out of print); Borrowed from the library

Very long for storytime but super sweet, two separate tales of 14 Bears in summer and winter. Each bear cub has a separate personality-nice for large families. Illustrates different activities typical to a season. Cute! ( )

I simply adore this book. It was a gift from my grandparents in 1976, and has been much-loved for more than 30 years in my home. My children are now as enthralled by it as I was -- from memorizing the names of the bears, to studying their different homes, to matching up names with individual bears in the adorable illustrations, my children and I always have a great time whenever we pull this book off the shelf. It makes me feel like a kid again, too.

I'm planning to buy a copy for each of my kids now that it has been reprinted by Golden. I have the original edition, which I occasionally see on eBay for upwards of $100 per copy. It's one of my most treasured possessions. ( )