Books that help raise empathetic, inclusive children

❓Frequently asked questions

About Bookbear

What's Bookbear all about?

Bookbear is a book recommender, primarily for children. What makes it unique is our focus on books that help raise more empathetic and inclusive children.

At the same time, we look for books that help children find voices that resonate with their own.

Who decides the topics to include in the Bookbear catalogue?

Right now, me :) However, there is a lovely ‘Recommend a Book’ tab that lets you recommend books to be included in the catalogue.

Finding books

How does one engage with this database?

There are two tabs: one for kids' books and one for grown-ups.

• You can use the search bar to find books on particular topics and interests.
• You can also filter books by age group, language, subject and cultural representation, and explore.
• Each book card has a short summary of the book, reviews and links to buy it. You can also add your own reviews.
• Most importantly, you can help build this database by sharing your recommendations.

Which languages are covered?

Books in 15 languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Bengali, plus English. Use the Language filter to find them.

Why do Indian authors appear first?

We want Indian children to find stories that look and sound like them, so books by Indian authors come first in every search. Authors from around the world follow.

How are age ranges decided?

Each book's age range is based on the publisher's guidance and our own reading. You know your child best, so treat it as a guide.

Keeping it child-friendly

Can my children browse it on their own?

Yes. The site opens on the Kids tab, and grown-ups' books stay on their own tab, so children won't see them while browsing. With “Hide sensitive topics” ticked, the list is a gentle one to explore.

I'm worried the books might touch on topics my children aren't ready for.

While we've curated these books to make sure they are age-appropriate, we've also added a gentle ⚠️ heads-up on the book card whenever a book deals with difficult topics (e.g. death, war).

On the Kids tab, you can also tick “Hide sensitive topics” above the results to leave those books out altogether.

Cost & buying

Is it a paid subscription?

No. There’s no subscription or sign-up needed. We may earn income through affiliate links when you buy a book from a retailer or publisher.

Are the prices accurate?

Prices were checked in September 2026 and may have changed since. The store's own page always has the current price.

Getting involved

How often are new books added?

We look for new releases every week and add the best ones regularly.

I'm an author or publisher. How do I get my book listed?

Recommend it through the ‘Recommend a Book’ tab. Every suggestion is reviewed against our catalogue's focus.

How can I get in touch?

Email bookbear.sg@gmail.com, or find us on Instagram at @bookbear.in.

🐻Who am I?

I’m Sucheta: a marketing professional, a mama bear, a former bookshop owner and a forever bibliophile. I’ve always been happiest surrounded by books.

My two bear cubs caught the book bug too! So whenever something tricky came up, like a new city, a new school or a meltdown nobody saw coming… I’d reach for a book, and it usually did a better job than anything I could say.

Along the way we’ve found stories for every emotion… big or small, and a few books we still read on repeat. Bookbear is my way of sharing them with you.

🐻Why am I building Bookbear?

Bookbear isn't new. It began as a boutique children's bookstore in Singapore, curating books for third-culture kids (@bookbear.in).

Books have been my best parenting ally. I've leaned on them again and again to widen my children's horizons and teach them to question the status quo. Sometimes it's something as simple as learning that it's okay to be in a bad mood (Grumpy Monkey), or finding a creative way around a roadblock (Pickle Mania). Sometimes it's meeting inspiring people from our history (the Learning TO BE series). And more recently, books have helped us through a year of big transitions.

Over the years, I've had the privilege of working closely with wonderful authors and publishers to find stories that help raise inclusive, empathetic children. Bookbear today carries that same idea forward: a hand-picked catalogue of books in which every child can see themselves, and learn to see others.

🐻How does the website work?

It is a handy book recommender with some exciting features:

• You can filter books by theme, age, language and cultural representation.
• We’ve included reviews where available, and a heads-up on sensitive topics.
• We’ve embedded links to buy from the publisher or popular retailers.
• You can also recommend books to us through the ‘Recommend’ tab, so we can keep this database updated and exciting.

We've also added a shelf for grown-ups, with books on conscious parenting and a few genres that speak to me as a reader.

The intent is to build and grow a community of today’s conscious parents and tomorrow’s thoughtful leaders through a medium we know and love… Books!