Kindergarten Books > My big bear, my little bear and me

My big bear, my little bear and me

text: Margarita Del Mazo /  illustrations: Rocio Bonila

The little girl goes out for a walk with her small bear and with her big bear, which turns out to be her father. This story could be a story about the friends the girl has in her life: her teddy bear whom the girl takes care of, and her father who takes care of her, and what the girl enjoys about their presence. The story could also be addressing the topic of the middle child in the family, or the child who takes care of his younger sibling. The beauty of the story is its presentation from the child’s point of view, whether in the text or the drawings, and the surprise at the end when we see the full drawing of the Big Bear.

Family Activities

The book seamlessly transfers us to a world that examines the child’s need for social relationships, and shows us various forms of these relationships – for example, identification, mediation, and reflection (such as a mirror), which are vital relationships that meet the child’s basic ...

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Dear parents,

In this story, the girl feels that she is in the center, between her father the “Big Bear” and her teddy bear. During their winter walk in nature, her father gives her a feeling of confidence and safety, love and support, and allows her to explore and have fun, and she, in turn, gives her teddy bear the same feelings and experiences, so she can contemplate the small and surprising details, expand her experiences, build friendships and communicate with nature and animals.

The book seamlessly transfers us to a world that examines the child’s need for social relationships, and shows us various forms of these relationships – for example, identification, mediation, and reflection (such as a mirror), which are vital relationships that meet the child’s basic emotional needs, similar to the ones the Big Bear gave his girl.

Family Activities

  • About the girl’s feelings: We read the story with our children several times. We then follow the drawings and discuss them as an expressive artform and talk about the feelings of the girl in the different stages: when she prepares to go out for a walk with her father; when she is with the teddy bear; when she is with the animals of the forest; and at the aquarium with her father.
  • About relationships with family: The girl talked about experiences and pleasant times she spent with her father and her doll in the winter. We can talk with our children about the common adventures and activities that we have done, and that they would like to do with us and with their siblings.
  • About support and reciprocal relationships: the girl said that the father and the doll support her in difficult times and encourage her, and that they need her. We can talk with our children about the meaning of difficult times, and ask them: How did the father and the teddy bear need the girl? How do we encourage others in difficult times? Did you have a hard time? How did you deal with it? Who supported and helped you?
  • About dolls and favorite objects: We can talk to our child about his/her favorite object. The girl played with her teddy bear, and he helped her discover new things and build new friendships, and so she was creative with her imagination and her play. We can ask our children: What do they like about their object/toy? And how do they play with it?
  • Let’s enrich our emotional linguistic dictionary: Several vocabulary describing different needs and different emotional states are mentioned in the book. We can have a conversation with our child about their meanings and what they signify. For example: What is meant by the words “protect me?” When are things difficult, and what does that mean? encourage me? Does someone need me? When do we feel the need for encouragement? It is important to relate the vocabulary to the context and the lived experience. For example, our child can apply them to talk about their own lives.
  • We make hats: The text and the graphics suggested that the Big Bear was actually a bear because of the hat, and we were surprised to find out otherwise. With our children, we can bring different hats, such as a hat that looks like a rabbit, a rooster, and other animals. We can then let our imaginations run wild and play different roles while wearing those hats.
  • The father carried his daughter on his shoulders, and went out for a walk in the nearby ocean. We can go out with our children for a walk in the nearby ocean. We can explore, play with them, and have fun!

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