I read these books with my mom when I was small and they're just as wonderful now as they were 25 years ago. Little Bear is just unbearably sweet and I can now truly appreciate Mother Bear as well who demonstrates patience and ironic detachment when it comes to the antics of her Little Bear. The illustrations by Maurice Sendak are beautiful and truly make the stories come to life. I've read a whole bunch of these stories to my son, and he enjoys them, but not as much as I do I think. There's a nostalgia in them that beckons me. My son seems to like them well enough, but it could be that they'll be better for slightly older children. Maybe 5-6.