The Story of the Fourteen Bears

Franny always has a favorite book that she insists on reading to herself and having us read to her over and over. But none to date has quite captured her attention as The Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter, a new edition to the original, which was a favorite of both my sister and I when we were growing up. Unfortunately, the Winter addition pales in comparison to it's Summer counterpart, but Franny loves it nonetheless. We read two books of her choice to her at bedtime every evening. For nearly two weeks now, those two books have been The Fourteen Bears. I will be shocked when she finds a new favorite and I cease to hear "read it again!" During the day, I hear her chattering lines of it to herself, which I clearly recognize from having read it so many times: Every day the fourteen bears walked paw in paw through the forest. And the birds sang, and the breeze blew, and the sun beat on their ears. I find it amazing, the calming effect that fond childhood memories have on the soul, and this book evokes those feelings for me; I am extremely fortunate to be able to experience that nightly. It will be sad when The Fourteen Bears' time has past and Franny finds a new favorite book to love.

Reading The Fourteen Bears to Cole

Falling asleep to her favorite book at naptime