Nibbs the mouse wants to give Bruce the bear a Big Fun Day, but unfortunately grumpy Bruce does not like fun.

A little girl wears a bear on the outside to keep her safe and to be her friend, just as some people have a fierce animal inside to protect them.

"When the children discover a bear at the librarian's desk at story time, they think he's the new librarian. He's not!"--

Big bear has a pail of berries that his friends would like him to share. He doesn't pay attention well, so each time the tree tells him to share he does something different.

When three little bears play in the snow, they pretend to be "snow bears" and their mother goes along with the game.

When cheerful Ruth the rabbit tries to share with grumpy Bruce the bear the wonderful smells of spring, they discover that spring stinks.

Mae is a little girl, and Bear is a bear, but they are both afraid of trains and traveling to places they do not know, so they put on courage hats; Mae's has bear ears, and Bear's has people ears, and when they meet on the train going through bear country to the city, they take courage in each other's company and soon become friends--and when they arrive they exchange hats, which is a lot like exchanging hearts.

A bear tries hard to keep a birthday surprise a secret.

A little bear learns from his mother what it means to make and break a promise, as well as the lesson that some things in life simply cannot be promised.

Bear does not want to go to the library. He is quite sure he already has all the books he will ever need. Yet the relentlessly cheery Mouse, small and gray and bright-eyed, thinks different. When Bear reluctantly agrees to go with his friend to the big library, neither rocket ships nor wooden canoes are enough for Bear?s picky tastes. How will Mouse ever find the perfect book for Bear? Children will giggle themselves silly as Bear?s arguments give...