I was invited to a very exclusive picnic yesterday. We gathered all of the bears in the house (and one German dollie) for a carefully orchestrated mid-morning snack of fruit, veggies and tea. It was delightful, and we had a most gracious hostess.

Among the books that survived my childhood is a copy of The Teddy Bears’ Picnic. It’s become a favorite here lately, and this version has the most wonderful illustrations. My vintage edition has a pocket in the back for a record that was misplaced somewhere along the way, but thanks to YouTube, we’ve been listening to Bing croon the classic tune as we brush our teeth for bed.

For the most part, I was very gentle with my books as a child, and still have many of them to share with my girls the way my mother and grandmother shared favorites with me: Nancy Drew and Helen Keller, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and Elnora of the Limberlost.  I’ve enjoyed revisiting the stories that helped guide my own adventure, and am looking forward to introducing Swee and Beans to Laura Ingalls and Anne Shirley as they get older.

Do you have a favorite book or story you’ve saved?