A long way away from wherever it is that you live right now, there once was a tiny little cottage at the end of a long and winding trail, deep inside a forest of tall and tangled trees.
Inside this cottage there lived a family of misfit bears. There was an enormous polar bear, a gigantic grizzly bear, a huge black bear, and even a teeny tiny Koala bear.
As everybody who knows anything about bears will tell you, koalas aren’t REAL bears. This koala was even less real-er than the others, for it was actually a little girl. Though not a real bear, the little girl had many excellent bear-like qualities.
She could dance just like a real dancing-bear. She could wrestle just like a real wrestling-bear. Also she was cranky when she woke up in the mornings, just like a real bear!
But best of all, like any real bear, she liked bear-hugs. The bears would hug her right back, though not at full bear-strength (they didn’t want to break her). Those bears loved the little girl as much as if she was a real little bear.
Even though she always cheated at cards.
The little girl felt more at home with those bears than she’d ever felt before and she enjoyed playing with them all year long.
Then one day, the first fall of snow painted the forest in white and announced to the world that winter was beginning.
The bears began to yawn. As everybody who knows anything about bears will tell you, bears sleep ALL through the winter.
The little girl did not feel sleepy. As everybody who knows anything about little girls will tell you, they DON’T sleep all through winter (unless it is night time, of course). The bears worried that the little girl would be lonely while they slept all winter.
So before they went to sleep, the bears gave her a present. They said “We will be asleep for a while. You may feel a lack of bear in your life. Open this if you feel lonely before we wake up.”
The bears each carefully hugged the little girl good night, and then they all went to sleep. As soon as they were snoring, the little girl felt terribly alone.
The little girl opened her present. It was a TEDDY BEAR. As everybody who knows anything about teddy bears will tell you, teddy bears have many excellent bear-like qualities, but they aren’t real bears.
Teddy Bears don’t need to sleep all winter (in fact they don’t sleep at all). So the teddy bear could keep the little girl company until the other bears woke up in the spring.
And best of all, teddy bears like bear-hugs. The little girl loved that teddy bear as much as if he were a real little bear.
Even though he always cheated at cards.
37 thoughts on “The Tiniest Bear”
Wow, this is awesome, Jamie!
Warm sketchy style is perfect for this story(I really like your writing too)… Congratulations for your another great achievement as always!
Thanks so much guys. As you can see, this story is a bit of a departure for me; a sweet little FAIRY TALE in place of the manic goof-ball robots and explosions type stuff that I normally do. I had a lot of fun doing this story in three days (including the book formatting and printing) and I am glad that you liked it too, because I have some ideas for more stories about the little girl and her bear family that I would like to do (though I may spend more than 3 days on them next time).
There are those that say, and those that do…Jimmy you do very well! Thank you for once again shedding some sunlight into my darkened world.
I particularly love the cheating scenes.
Great stuff! I love the how the different kinds of bears are caricatured distinctly from each other. Great gestures too. You going to have a table at Super-con in San Jose ? Jordi Bernet, Adam Hughes and others will be there…
I wish I’d been at WonderCon–I would have bought like ten of these!!
I just found your site through the ghostbot blog (which I just found through cartoonbrew) and I’m glad I did–I really like your style and am looking forward to seeing more!
What a beautiful, heartfelt story. Lovely, expressive drawings, poetic, clear writing, and best of all, the spirit of this tale is timeless & joy-full. My stuffed koala bear Hurricane is nodding in agreement! “Good story,” he says, “Can you give the little girl another bear-human friend in a later story?” Seems he wants more & more, and so do I!
Fwd’ing this on to all my bearfriends with love and honey, Mara
Deane>> Glad that you liked this story. The card playing parts were among my favourites, too.
Benton>> No plans to go to that con yet, but thanks for the heads-up.
Joy>> I’m glad that I finally wrote a story that you understood!
Rachel>> If you’d have bought 10 books I too am very sorry that you didn’t make it to Wondercon! Maybe see you next time?
Alan>> Thanks!
Mara>> Thanks for Commenting! Please ask HURRICANE if “another bear-human friend” means another little toy-pal? Because I do plan for her to have some more clockwork friends in future stories.
A long way away from wherever it is that you live right now, there once was a tiny little cottage at the end of a long and winding trail, deep inside a forest of tall and tangled trees.
Inside this cottage there lived a family of misfit bears. There was an enormous polar bear, a gigantic grizzly bear, a huge black bear, and even a teeny tiny Koala bear.
As everybody who knows anything about bears will tell you, koalas aren’t REAL bears. This koala was even less real-er than the others, for it was actually a little girl. Though not a real bear, the little girl had many excellent bear-like qualities. 
She could dance just like a real dancing-bear. She could wrestle just like a real wrestling-bear. Also she was cranky when she woke up in the mornings, just like a real bear!
But best of all, like any real bear, she liked bear-hugs. The bears would hug her right back, though not at full bear-strength (they didn’t want to break her). Those bears loved the little girl as much as if she was a real little bear.
Even though she always cheated at cards. 
The little girl felt more at home with those bears than she’d ever felt before and she enjoyed playing with them all year long.
Then one day, the first fall of snow painted the forest in white and announced to the world that winter was beginning. 
The bears began to yawn. As everybody who knows anything about bears will tell you, bears sleep ALL through the winter. 
The little girl did not feel sleepy. As everybody who knows anything about little girls will tell you, they DON’T sleep all through winter (unless it is night time, of course). The bears worried that the little girl would be lonely while they slept all winter.
So before they went to sleep, the bears gave her a present. They said “We will be asleep for a while. You may feel a lack of bear in your life. Open this if you feel lonely before we wake up.”
The bears each carefully hugged the little girl good night, and then they all went to sleep. As soon as they were snoring, the little girl felt terribly alone.
The little girl opened her present. It was a TEDDY BEAR. As everybody who knows anything about teddy bears will tell you, teddy bears have many excellent bear-like qualities, but they aren’t real bears.
Teddy Bears don’t need to sleep all winter (in fact they don’t sleep at all). So the teddy bear could keep the little girl company until the other bears woke up in the spring. 
And best of all, teddy bears like bear-hugs. The little girl loved that teddy bear as much as if he were a real little bear.
Even though he always cheated at cards.
Wow, this is awesome, Jamie!
Warm sketchy style is perfect for this story(I really like your writing too)… Congratulations for your another great achievement as always!
WOW! This is a great little story.. really well written and drawn! I likes, I likes!
Anson
Thanks so much guys. As you can see, this story is a bit of a departure for me; a sweet little FAIRY TALE in place of the manic goof-ball robots and explosions type stuff that I normally do. I had a lot of fun doing this story in three days (including the book formatting and printing) and I am glad that you liked it too, because I have some ideas for more stories about the little girl and her bear family that I would like to do (though I may spend more than 3 days on them next time).
There are those that say, and those that do…Jimmy you do very well! Thank you for once again shedding some sunlight into my darkened world.
I particularly love the cheating scenes.
Great stuff! I love the how the different kinds of bears are caricatured distinctly from each other. Great gestures too. You going to have a table at Super-con in San Jose ? Jordi Bernet, Adam Hughes and others will be there…
Oh my gosh Jimmy, this is just a beautiful story and the illustrations are adorable. I didn’t know you had mushy in you. Better yet, I GET it. X
I wish I’d been at WonderCon–I would have bought like ten of these!!
I just found your site through the ghostbot blog (which I just found through cartoonbrew) and I’m glad I did–I really like your style and am looking forward to seeing more!
This is totally charming. Beartastic!
Jaime-bear~!
What a beautiful, heartfelt story. Lovely, expressive drawings, poetic, clear writing, and best of all, the spirit of this tale is timeless & joy-full. My stuffed koala bear Hurricane is nodding in agreement! “Good story,” he says, “Can you give the little girl another bear-human friend in a later story?” Seems he wants more & more, and so do I!
Fwd’ing this on to all my bearfriends with love and honey, Mara
Deane>> Glad that you liked this story. The card playing parts were among my favourites, too.
Benton>> No plans to go to that con yet, but thanks for the heads-up.
Joy>> I’m glad that I finally wrote a story that you understood!
Rachel>> If you’d have bought 10 books I too am very sorry that you didn’t make it to Wondercon! Maybe see you next time?
Alan>> Thanks!
Mara>> Thanks for Commenting! Please ask HURRICANE if “another bear-human friend” means another little toy-pal? Because I do plan for her to have some more clockwork friends in future stories.
Jaaaaaaimeeee!!!
Once again you write another cute story with cute illos. I totally wanna give you a HUGE bear hug rite now.
Are there anymore of those mini-zines? Will you make more for Comic-con?
Great story and art! Can’t wait to buy one at the Comic Con!!
One of my favorites! So sweet.
I have a sweet side too, Brian. It’s not ALL fart gags and pratfalls (just mostly).
thats a cute ass little story
Thanks, Rob.
ill read it to jacko as soon as he puts that knife down
Ha!
I love it! Great story.
I love this one! I still have the physical copy i bought at ctn :)
Gave to my nieces. They loved it. This comic and Ted’s Cora were my favorites …
Oh!! I love it! The sweetest of sweet
Tee hee!
I have this!
Jamie Maddie (tonys niece) is doing her first bookreport. So she wants to do it with your story…..Thanks.
Mrs S! Thanks for letting me know about Maddie; a young lady of impeccable taste in literature.
Gorgeous and charming as HECK, Jamie Baker.
Thanks, Amber.
awwwww….. nice! ;)
i love your story the tiniest bear uncle james and i always have
Aw.. Thank you very much, Rachel. Hopefully I can so some more stories like this some day!
I love this story so much, it warms your heart. I love the sketches too they are so endearing and wonderful X
Thanks Joy!
I just read this to my 4 yr old daughter. She said “I like that so cute. But that’s not Goldilocks” haha Love your art Jamie!
Ha ha! Brilliant.
Brilliant story Jamie! Miss you my friend! I will be reading this to Sachi :) Love, Shannon Henry
Oh, great to hear from you, Shannon! Thanks for commenting.