Library News

Who can bear it? These kids can.

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They came in all shapes and sizes, dressed in all manner of regalia — brown bears and black bears, polar bears and grizzly bears — to have tea at the Seaford Library on Dec. 12. The bears brought along their favorite child to join them for a craft, have a spot of tea (in the guise of apple juice), and hear a bear of a story from children’s librarian Cindy Schaaf.

“These are all my mine,” Schaaf pointed to the several dozen bears propped in chairs and perched above the coat rack in the children’s community room. “I keep them in my bedroom.”

Schaaf brings them to the library each year to celebrate the Teddy Bear tea, now in its 25th year.

Once the children had gathered with their companions in the community room, Miss Cindy explained, “these bears live at my house and when they heard about our party, they had to come,” she told the children. “I know they should be hibernating, but they are so excited to see you.”

Then, each of the dozen or so children, ranging in age from 3 to 8 years old, had the opportunity to tell Miss Cindy and the other children all about their favorite companion.

Julia Cetina said her teddy bear was extra special because it had belonged to her big sister, Ella. It seems that Ella made the bear at summer camp. “My bear is about 152 years old,” Julia said. “This is her first tea party.”

Big sister Ella didn’t disagree. She smiled and rolled her eyes.

Julia Cottone brought Myla, a bear dressed in a large red hat. “She’s quite the fashionista,” Miss Cindy said.

“That’s nothing,” scoffed Julia. “Watch this.” To everyone’s delight, Myla sang and the children giggled.

Not to be out done, Jackson Miller said his companion, a stuffed elephant instead of a bear, was “a ballet dancer. She can do anything.” Jackson immediately demonstrated by dancing with his elephant. “She also talks a lot,” he said.

Harrison Feitziner dressed in matching red and white apparel with Hey Bear. “This is his first tea party,” Harrison confided.

Ashley Milevoj brought New York, a bear she made from a Build-A-Bear kit.

James Benjamin didn’t bring a bear of his own. Instead he borrowed one of Miss Cindy’s bears. “I think I’ll call him Jack Jr.,” said James. “He’s a library bear.”

After the formal introductions, the children settled down to decorate a “tea themed” placemat and have a snack and apple juice before the entrance of Honey Bear.

Honey Bear was greeted with squeals of delight by most of the children; although one little girl decided she preferred her own lap sized bear to the adult sized Honey Bear.

But all’s well that ends well. Miss Cindy read a story about poor Papa Bear who couldn’t get any sleep in “Bear Snores On” by Karma Wilson. The moral of the story – let Mom and Dad get a good night’s rest.

“This is such a fun event,” said Schaaf. “I love the kids.”