Shirley Parenteau

Shirley Parenteau is the author of five books about the bears: Bears on Chairs, Bears in Beds, Bears in the Bath, Bears and a Birthday, and Bears in a Band. Shirley Parenteau lives in Elk Grove, California. Shirley Parenteau gained an adventurous nature by growing up on the northern Oregon coast, the next to youngest of five brothers and sisters. After years of writing outdoor magazine articles, she discovered she loved connecting with children, especially through picture books. Her six granddaughters are a continuing source of inspiration. So are preschool and primary grade children, whose enthusiastic answers to “What should the bears do next?” give interesting insights into their worlds. Bears on Chairs sprang from a granddaughter’s play in a bookstore. This book led to Bears in Beds in 2012, Bears an a Bath in 2014, and Bears and a Birthday in 2015. Shirley’s daughter-in-law Miwa is from Japan, so it was especially fun when a Japanese publisher printed the first two bears books in that languageThe first was ranked ninth among favorite children’s books published in Japan in 2011. A performer read the book to a teddy bear during a popular children’s television show in Australia, and TV rights have been sold in Japan. (Source: www.barnesandnoble.com)