Baby Bear

**Baby Bear** is one of the main characters of the classic story, "The Three Bears." In 1991, the character was adapted into *Sesame Street* and has been an established member of the cast since.

The character was devised by writer Lou Berger, who incorporated him and his perpetual rival-like nemesis Goldilocks into his script for Episode 2866, where the two bring his broken chair to the Fix-It Shop. For the episode, performer David Rudman developed the character's signature speech impediment, typically pronouncing his Rs as Ws, to help soften the image of the character as well as having fun with the many R-sounds in the character's dialogue.

Baby Bear was added for the season 23 as a major role. He often always dealing with Goldilocks. He became fast friends with Big Bird. By season 24, he began to develop his athletic and heroic traits, including sports, skateboarding, and more. By season 25, he found a new friend Telly Monster who is acting as his sidekick. He also began to develop his own unique traits, such as an interest in making art and a rather easy vocabulary which he is much more confident. Much like his original story, he has a particular fondness for porridge.

His parents, Papa Bear and Mama Bear, were introduced on the show in 1993. In 2003, his baby sister Curly Bear was born, turning the Three Bears into four.

In Season 31, Baby Bear created an imaginary friend, Hero Guy.

In the 2002 special *Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!*, it was revealed that Baby Bear's family is Jewish. Just as he shared Jewish traditions with Telly in that special, Baby Bear is seen participating happily in the Sesame Street Easter picnic in the 2007 book *Rosita's Easter on Sesame Street*; he picks up braided bread from the bakery to bring to the party.

In Season 36 and 37, he was seen attending Storybook Community School. In season 45, he instead attends the similarly named Storybook Community Pre-School.

On *The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo*, Baby Bear has been seen running craft services for the show and, in the second season, opening up his own backstage restaurant.

## Notes

* His birthday is May 12th.

* He is at least 5 years old, having appeared in a montage of COVID vaccine recipients in the special *The ABCs of COVID Vaccines*.

* The first Baby Bear puppet was originally used as a cub version of Flo Bear in Episode 2277 (1987). The puppet also appears as one of the woodland audience members of Ernie's Forest Fashions report (First: Episode 2417), as a member of Guy Smiley's audience in one sketch (First: Episode 2646), and as a part of an animal stampede in Episode 2799.

* The puppet was also originally a sack-body Muppet, like Cookie Monster. In Season 30, the puppet was completely rebuilt with brighter brown, with a new body structure and arms, similar to puppets like Ernie, as well as a little tuft of hair on the top of his head.

* Baby Bear got his first haircut in Episode 3834.

* The storybook character Baby Bear had previously been depicted in Season 3 as an Anything Muppet.

## Appearances

* *Sesame Street* (1991 - present)
* *Sing-Along Earth Songs*
* *Sesame Street Stays Up Late*
* *Stars and Street Forever*
* *Elmo Saves Christmas*
* "Don't Forget to Watch the Movie"
* *Do the Alphabet*
* *Telling the Truth*
* *Elmo Says BOO!*
* *Elmopalooza*
* "A Brief History of Motion Pictures"
* *Kids Favorite Songs*
* *The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland*
* *Sesame Street Goes to the Doctor*
* *CinderElmo*
* *Let's Make Music*
* *Elmo's Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf*
* *Kids' Favorite Songs 2*
* "We Are Family" music video
* *Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!*
* *Talk, Read, Write*
* *Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic*
* *The Street We Live On*
* *Elmo's Christmas Countdown*
* *Love the Earth!*
* *Food for Thought*
* *Kinect Sesame Street TV*
* *Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas*
* *Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration*
* *The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo*

## Book appearances

* *My Name is Baby Bear* (1993)
* *Around the Corner on Sesame Street* (1994)
* *Goldilocks and the Three Bears* (1995)
* *Big Bird's Band Plays Together* (1996)
* *Big Bird and Baby Bear's Big Alphabet Adventure* (1996)
* *The Emperor's New Fur* (1997)
* *Elmo Saves Christmas* (1997)
* *Big Bird and Baby Bear's Friendship for a Day* (1997)
* *Will You Be My Valentine?* (1998)
* *Baby Bear to the Rescue* (1999)
* *Goldilocks and the Three Bear-Keteers* (2000)
* *Hooper's Store* (2001)
* *Spring Fever* (2001)
* *Spooky Sleep-out* (2001)
* *The Christmas Basket* (2001)
* *Clap Your Hands!* (2002)
* *Look and Find Elmo* (2002)
* *The Best Picnic Ever!* (2003)
* *Elmo's World: Sports!* (2004)
* *Fun with Friends* (2004)
* *Animal Alphabet* (2005)
* Dance Along with Us! (2006)
* *Fly Away with Big Bird* (2006)
* *Abby Cadabby's Rhyme Time* (2007)
* *Counting All Around* (2007)
* *Elmo & Friends Picture Stories* (2007)
* *Elmo's Busy Day* (2007)
* *Elmo's Favorite Places* (2007)
* *Friendly, Frosty Monsters* (2007)
* *Good Night, Tucked in Tight* (2007)
* *Have Yourself a Furry Little Christmas* (2007)
* *Music Player Storybook* (2007)
* *Rosita's Easter on Sesame Street* (2007)
* *Sesame Street Super Sticker Book* (2007)
* *What Makes You Giggle?* (2007)
* *Color Carnival* (2008)
* *Elmo's Christmas Countdown* (2008)
* *Let's Go! with Elmo and Friends* (2008)
* *Let's Help the Earth* (2008)
* *Storybook ABCs* (2008)
* *What's the Word on the Street?* (2008)
* *Count to 10* (2009)
* *Elmo's Christmas Countdown* (2009)
* *Love, Elmo* (2009)
* *My Big Book of Firsts* (2009)
* *Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?* (2009)
* *Busy Friends* (2010)
* *Elmo and Abby's Wacky Weather Day* (2011)
* *Elmo's Christmas Picture Puzzles & Songs* (2011)
* *Grouches Are Green* (2011)
* *Over on Sesame Street* (2012)
* *Sesame Street Countablock* (2021)

## Sources

1. ↑ David Rudman interview with NPR, March 19, 2008.