This week, Greenwillow Books releases the boardbook edition of Kevin Henkes's popular Old Bear, originally released in 2008 as a hardcover. The story blends fact and fiction with colorful illustrations to create a tale that will both entertain and inform your little ones. The cycle of nature is conveyed through the story elements: bear finds his den, sleeps and dreams of the seasons, then awakes in the spring to find the world a-bloom with new life. The rhythmic, soothing text makes Old Bear perfect for a bedtime story, and the easy to understand message conveyed makes this book a great introduction to bears or to the seasonal cycles of animals. The sturdy pages of the boardbook can withstand the most grubby and destructive tiny hands, so you can feel alright about giving this book to the youngest child. Recommended for babies and preschoolers, Old Bear is a simple and sweet story that will delight and inspire your littlest kids to gain an appreciation for the wonders of nature and bears in particular. After reading the story to your child, why not take the opportunity to teach them more about the world of bears? Check out the National Geographic for Kids website, then share fun facts about bears with your children to pique their thirst for further knowledge. For instance, did you know that brown bears like the one in Old Bear can run up to 30 miles per hour? Bears are fascinating, and Kevin Henkes's Old Bear is a great book for showing your littlest nature-lovers exactly why we should care about these big beasts.