Being Brave Is Best

Tales From the Care Bears

by Elizabeth Winthrop

Cheer Bear and Funshine Bear help Jenny to overcome her fears when she goes to the hospital to have her tonsils removed

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

44 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1984

About the author

ELIZABETH WINTHROP ALSOP (www.elizabethwinthropalsop.com), is the author of over sixty works of fiction for all ages, including ISLAND JUSTICE and IN MY MOTHER'S HOUSE, both available as e-books.

DAUGHTER OF SPIES: Wartime Secrets, Family Lies, her memoir about her parents' love affair during World War II and her own childhood in 1950s Washington as the daughter of a famous journalist, will be published October 25, 2022 by Regal House.

Her short story, The Golden Darters, was selected by Best American Short Stories by Robert Stone and was recently read on SELECTED SHORTS by the renowned actress, Ann Dowd. She is the author of the memoir piece, Don't Knock Unless You're Bleeding; Growing Up in Cold War Washington.The daughter of Stewart Alsop, the political journalist, she divides her time between New York City and the Berkshires.

Her historical novel, COUNTING ON GRACE was chosen as a Notable Book of the Year by the American Library Association, the National Council of Social Studies, the International Reading Association and the Children’s Book Council among others. The novel has also been nominated for state book awards in Vermont, Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri,Indiana, Hawaii and Arizona.

THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC and its sequel, THE BATTLE FOR THE CASTLE, were nominated for twenty-three state book awards and are considered children’s fantasy classics.

Her popular picture books include DUMPY LA RUE, SHOES,DOG SHOW, SQUASHED IN THE MIDDLE and most recently, THE FIRST CHRISTMAS STOCKING and THE BIGGEST PARADE. Two of her recent books for older children are THE RED-HOT RATTOONS, a comic fantasy novel and DEAR MR. PRESIDENT, Letters from a Milltown Girl, a work of historical fiction set in western Massachusetts.

For more information, www.elizabethwinthrop.com

Reviews

[Tiffany Spencer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being Brave Is Best
PLOT: Jenny keeps having sore throats. One more and her parents are going to have to take her to the doctor. It turns out that her tonsil's need to be removed and she'll have to stay at the hospital over-night until she's recovered. She's a little scared but she's visited by two special friends Cheerbear and Funshine bear who encourage her to be brave.

MY THOUGHTS: Now as somebody that's been in and out of the hospital A LOT I know how important it is to have the support and love of family and friend's because even as an adult it's a scary thing. You just never know how it's going to go. But as much as I love the Care Bears (and collected the little plastic hard ones. And even owned a big plush Cheer bear) I think it would freak me out more than the surgery if one of them came through my window and jumped on my bed. Then showed up at the hospital and disappeared right in front of my eyes. I probably would have blamed it on the drugs they shoot you up with right before they put you under.

RATING: 6 I can relate to this story because I've been in Jenny's place MANY times. But I have NEVER seen a hospital room look as nice as the one Jenny's in. This story shows that even tho the Care Bears are fictional creatures, that in real life it's important to have "Care Bears" in your life be it, family or friends when you're in a situation that places you in the hospital to have any kind of surgery. All the love that surrounds you from that definitely makes it easier.

[slauderdale]

My kiddo had a tonsillectomy a few days ago. I had previously rounded up some library offerings re: kids and tonsils ("A Visit to the Sesame Street Hospital," "Goodbye Tonsils," et al) but I don't think we really read any of them beforehand. Got some good mileage out of the old "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" hospital episode, though (please don't judge: I know Cosby sucks, but this was THE education I had on tonsillectomies as a kid, so it was an automatic fallback. She also asked for it several times before the surgery and has asked for it several times afterward, so it seems like it was a good choice.) We were back home and tucked in bed for some recuperative rest when I noticed this Care Bear book on the floor on my wife's side of the bed. Just a random children's book, but I saw the nurse on the cover. Could it be...? YES IT IS. Another children's picture book involving tonsils and tonsillectomy. The usual wacky coincidence that we had a super pertinent children's picture book in our possession the whole time...

[Queenie Valencia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely obsessed with this i read it like 6 - 7 times