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Photo by Hans-Jurgen Mager on Unsplash.

Whether you grew up on Winnie the Pooh, Paddington, Corduroy, or the Berenstain Bears, everyone has at least one good pop culture bear that holds a special place in their heart, but what about the lesser known bears, those just as deserving of a good bear stamp? What about the ones often mislabelled as bad bears—the ones just misunderstood?

We're here to shine some spotlight on those good bears audiences often brush under the rug or ones who, despite their standoffish exterior, are deep down (some deep deep down) good bears.

[Movie still from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Warner Bros.]

Dogs can be cute and cuddly. They can also be 6 feet tall and have blood red eyes. Well, the hellhounds from the underworld do. But hellhounds need love too! Here’s a pack of hounds who deserve some hugs.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Celebrities are just like us when it comes to books—they can’t put them down and are always buying more! When these actors/actresses aren’t filming, writing, or directing, they're reading. Here are a few famous celebs who love books just as much as we do.

[TV still from Queer Eye, Netflix]

Since the makeover show got a revamp in 2018, fans have been laughing, crying, and loving the new Fab Five and the lives they change. From Tan’s style tips (and his love of a good French tuck), to Antoni’s delightful cooking (and hilarious responses to smelly fridges), to Karamo’s kindness and caring, to Bobby’s miracle-working interior design, and of course, Jonathan Van Ness’s inimitable style, these men turn the lives of their targets upside down––in the best possible way.

But when they aren’t working tear-jerking miracles, we assume that the guys love to curl up with a good book (and hopefully a snack that Antoni made!), so we’ve got some great recommendations for them this summer––and one for fans of the show!

[Image by David Mark from Pixabay]

If the phrase “it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” conjures up images of cardigans and trollies to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, then you’re going to love our two newest board books: It’s You I Like and Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Both of these gorgeous books feature the lyrics (and the warm neighborly welcome) of Fred Rogers, with beautiful illustrations by Luke Flowers. We recommend them for the littlest readers in your life – or for your millennial friends and family who could use a visit from Mister Rogers right about now.

One thing we love about Mister Rogers is the way he welcomed us into both his home in Pittsburgh and the Neighborhood of Make-Believe in equal measure. He treated us like guests in his world, and we’ll never stop thanking him for that. And what better way to welcome these Mister Rogers books into the world than by exploring some of our favorite neighborhoods in pop culture!

[Photo by mentatdgt from Pexels]

Let’s face it: our friends are the best thing in our lives right now. They’re the best thing in our lives always, but with all the distractions of commuting and commerce and “normalcy” (whatever that means, right?) pushed to the side over these past few months, our friends have remained a constant – like the co-protagonists of our lives that they are. Today we’re celebrating unlikely friendships in literature and pop culture. Because all of our truly favorite people IRL started out as our own unlikely companions.