Little Bear (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little Bear |
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| Genre | Preschool Adventure Fantasy Comedy Drama Family History |
| Created by | Else Holmelund Minarik Maurice Sendak Jeff Goode |
| Starring | Kristin Fairlie Jennifer Martini Amos Crawley Tracy Ryan Andrew Sabiston Elizabeth Hanna Janet-Laine Green Dan Hennessey |
| Theme music composer | Rowland Lee |
| Composer(s) | Lesley Barber |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 65 (195 segments) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Maurice Sendak John B. Carls Michael Hirsh Patrick Loubert Clive A. Smith |
| Producer(s) | Michael Hirsh Patrick Loubert Clive A. Smith Marianne Culbert Stephen Hodgins Patricia Burns |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | John B. Carls Productions Inc. Wild Things Productions Nelvana Limited Hong Guang Animation (1999-2003) (season 5) |
| Distributor | Nelvana Enterprises |
| Release | |
| Original network | Canada CBC Treehouse TV United States Nickelodeon |
| Picture format | NTSC (480i) |
| Original release | November 6, 1995 – November 7, 2003 |
Little Bear is a fun animated TV show for kids. It is based on the popular Little Bear books. These books were written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. The show was first shown in Canada on the CBC. In the United States, it started on Nickelodeon in 1995. It was also seen on CBS from 2000 to 2001.
A movie called The Little Bear Movie was made in 2001. You could watch it at home on video or DVD.
Contents
About the Show
The story of Little Bear takes place in the wilderness. It is set a long time ago, around the end of the 1800s. Little Bear is a young cub who loves to explore and learn new things. He goes on many exciting adventures with his friends. His friends include Emily, Duck, Hen, Cat, and Owl.
Little Bear lives with his family. His mom, Mother Bear, takes care of their home. His dad, Father Bear, is a fisherman. Father Bear is often away on his ship, catching fish.
Meet the Characters
Main Characters
- Little Bear (voiced by Kristin Fairlie) is a curious and imaginative grizzly bear cub. He is about 6 years old. He lives in the forest with his family and friends. Little Bear is always kind. He loves to play and explore. His favorite saying is "Hmmmm... Interesting!"
- Emily (voiced by Jennifer Martini) is Little Bear's best friend. She is 7 years old. Emily used to visit with her parents by the river in the summer. She always carries her doll, Lucy. Emily later moves to the forest for good. She lives there with her grandmother.
- Owl (voiced by Amos Crawley) is a wise male owl. He lives in a treehouse. Owl can be serious sometimes. He enjoys fun games, but only if they make sense. Reading is one of his favorite hobbies.
- Duck (voiced by Tracy Ryan) is a female duck with yellow feathers. She has an orange beak and a long neck. Duck can be a bit slow but is also smart. She often finds herself in funny situations. She loves to play "princess" and make-believe.
- Cat (voiced by Andrew Sabiston) is a relaxed male cat. He enjoys walking around at night. He also likes to play tricks on others and eat. When his friends need to go somewhere, Cat often shows them a shortcut. His special saying is "Boo!"
- Hen (voiced by Elizabeth Hanna) is a lively chicken. She lives in a big chicken coop. Hen is very neat and likes things clean. Her many nieces and nephews sometimes make her house messy. Still, she always enjoys having fun.
- Mother Bear (voiced by Janet-Laine Green) is Little Bear's mom. She loves to cook. She is always ready to help Little Bear when he needs it. She also likes to keep their house tidy. She usually wears a pink shirt, a blue skirt, and a white apron.
- Father Bear (voiced by Dan Hennessey) is Little Bear's dad. He is Mother Bear's husband. He works as a fisherman. Sometimes, he takes Little Bear fishing with him. He has traveled to many places. He likes to keep old things. He often wears a blue suit with a purple tie.
Other Friends and Family
- No Feet (voiced by Rick Jones) is a friendly green garter snake. He lives in Mother Bear's garden. Little Bear and No Feet get along very well.
- Grandmother Bear (voiced by Diane D'Aquila) is Little Bear's grandmother. She is Mother Bear's mom. She enjoys cooking and telling stories.
- Grandfather Bear (voiced by Sean McCann) is Little Bear's grandfather. He is Mother Bear's dad. He once worked in a circus with his wife and sister.
- Rusty Bear (voiced by Dan Lett) is Father Bear's younger brother. He is Little Bear's uncle. Rusty is a very large bear. He prefers living in the quiet woods. Little Bear is fascinated by Rusty's love for the outdoors.
- Granny (voiced by Kay Hawtrey) is Emily's grandmother. Emily lives with her permanently. Granny has traveled the world. She owns a dog named Tutu.
- Tutu (voiced by Tara Strong) is Emily and Granny's dog. She is very energetic. She can understand what humans say. Granny says Tutu only speaks French, but she understands English.
- Mitzi (voiced by Ashley Taylor) is a playful monkey. She is 5 years old. Mitzi lives in a treehouse in the forest. She sometimes acts mischievous. She feels bad if she upsets someone. Mitzi joined the group later in the show.
- Moose (voiced by Ray Landry) is a male moose. He sometimes helps Little Bear and his friends when they need it.
Other Characters Little Bear Meets
- Otters are four river otter siblings. They live in the local river. They often appear in episodes about water activities.
- Mermaid is a friendly mermaid. Little Bear sometimes meets her at the lake. She takes him to see places underwater.
- Frog is a male frog. He shares wise thoughts. He lives at Little Bear's favorite swimming spot, 'Hop-Frog Pond'. He is a good friend to Little Bear.
- Little Ick is a baby raccoon. He stays with Mother Bear when his mom visits his grandmother. Little Bear and Little Ick act like siblings. Little Bear gave him the nickname "Ick" because that's all the baby could say.
- Marshmallow is a baby white skunk. Owl and Little Bear find her in one episode. She plays with Little Bear and his friends. She is also the flower girl in Mr. and Mrs. Skunk's wedding.
- Mighty is a humpback whale. He is an old friend of Father Bear. Mighty and his son, Little Whale, help Father Bear and Little Bear get back to shore during a storm.
- Mr. Wind is a cloud that blows wind.
Episodes
List of Little Bear episodes
The Little Bear Movie
In 2001, the TV show was made into a movie. It was called The Little Bear Movie. This movie was released directly to video and DVD. It was made by Paramount Home Entertainment, Alliance Atlantis, and Nelvana.
Music in the Show
The main theme song for Little Bear in Canada uses music from a piece by the composer Franz Schubert. It is called Allegro vivace from his Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major. This music was arranged for different instruments by Arnold Black. The American version of the show used a different opening song. The background music in the series was created by Lesley Barber. You can also hear parts of music by other famous composers like Chopin, Bach, and Mozart.
Other Ways to Enjoy Little Bear
Live Show
A live stage show called "Little Bear: Winter Tales" toured across Canada. It first happened in 2007 and returned in 2009. These shows were presented by Paquin Entertainment and produced by Koba Entertainment.
Video Games
In 1999, The Learning Company made two educational games based on Little Bear. These were "Maurice Sendak's Little Bear Rainy Day Activities" and "Maurice Sendak's Little Bear: Preschool Thinking Adventures". In 2000, they made another game for younger kids called "Little Bear: Toddler Discovery Adventures".
Where to Watch Little Bear
Little Bear has been shown on many channels around the world. These include ABC in Australia, RTÉ in Ireland, and TV2 in New Zealand. In the United Kingdom, it aired on Children's BBC. In the United States, it was shown on Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and Noggin. It also aired on CBS during the Nick on CBS block from 2000 to 2001.
Streaming Online
All episodes and the movie are available to stream on YouTube in Canada. In the United States, Nick Jr.'s special service, Noggin, has the rights to stream the series. You can find Noggin on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Channels, and the Noggin app. The series was also added to Paramount+ in January 2021.
Home Videos
Many Little Bear episodes have been released on VHS tapes and DVDs over the years.
VHS Releases
- Meet Little Bear (1997)
- Family Tales (1997)
- Winter Tales (1997)
- Parties & Picnics (1998)
- Goodnight Little Bear (1998)
- Friends (1999)
- Summertime Tales (1999)
- Little Goblin Bear (1999)
- A Kiss for Little Bear (2000)
- Little Bear's Band (2000)
- Rainy Day Tales (2000)
- Little Sherlock Bear (2001)
- The Little Bear Movie (2001)
- Let's Play a Game (2001)
- Little Artist Bear (2002)
- Campfire Tales (2002)
- Snacktime Tales (2002)
- Feel Better, Little Bear (2003)
DVD Releases (Canada)
- Outdoor Fun (2002)
- Mysterious Moments (2002)
- Hooray for Little Bear (2002)
- At Home (2003)
- Dreams and Make Believe (2006)
- Mother and Father Bear (2006)
- Exploring and Other Adventures (2006)
- Seasons (2005) Slim case
- New Friends (2005) Slim Case
- Parties and Picnics (2005) Slim case
- Grandmother's House (2005) Slim case
- Tales for Rainy Days (2009) Slim case
- Meet Mitzi (2009) Slim case
DVD Releases by Treehouse (2012)
- Seaside Adventures
- Summer Sandcastles
- Search for Spring
- Dress Up Time
- Mother Bear's Special Day
- Follow the Leader
- Winter Games
- Father's Day
DVD Releases (United States)
- The Little Bear Movie (August 7, 2001)
- Feel Better, Little Bear (October 7, 2003)
- Rainy Day Tales (June 7, 2005)
- Little Bear's Band (June 7, 2005)
- Halloween Stories (August 22, 2006)
Images for kids
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The main characters.
