A Story for That · Eira Books · available now
New House, Same Bear
A gentle story about moving house
By Nora Strand
The boxes. The empty room. The car journey. The first night in a bed that is somehow still theirs. One small child follows the whole move, with a worn teddy bear along on every story page.
Ages 2–5 · 8.5 × 8.5 in paperback · 32 pages · full colour
English · a fixed story to read together, not a personalised book
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Look inside
Small words for a very big change
Some pages from the story, in order: packing, the journey and arriving.
Moving is enormous when you are three. The bed goes. The room goes. The house that has always been home goes. This story follows the move one small step at a time.
Three streets or three thousand miles
New House, Same Bear names no town and assumes no distance. It follows what comes with the family: the bear, the toy car, Mum's laugh, Dad's stories. Familiar things in an unfamiliar place.
Short enough to read again
Twenty-four story pages, told in the first person by the child. Short lines and gentle illustrations in a quiet Scandinavian style leave room to pause, point and talk together.
Something for the grown-up, too
- Practical notes for grown-ups, including the first-night box
- A page of things to say goodbye to, to read out loud together
- A “draw your new room” page
Download the free drawing page or read our moving-house guide.
Paperback for ages 2–5. Check Amazon for current price and delivery.
The person behind the books
Meet Nora Strand
Nora Strand is an occupational therapist and a mother of two daughters. She has spent more than 25 years working with children and their families, helping create opportunities for good communication.
She has made storybooks for her own children around hospital visits, moving house and unsettled nights. She believes in giving children clear information, taking their worries seriously, and making room for them to express what they feel.
In her series, A Story for That, the approach is simple: make the moment small, concrete and calm. A room to say goodbye to. A bear to hold. A familiar bed in a new house. Short stories, told by the child, with practical notes for the grown-up reading beside them.
A Story for That
More moments, on the way
These are the next topics in the series. More books with gentle stories are on the way.
Book 2
Afraid of the Dark
The light going off, the shapes on the wall, and the morning that always comes — familiar bedtime details for a story about the dark.
Not yet available
Book 3
First Haircut
The cape, the chair, the buzzing clippers — the unfamiliar details of a first haircut, one at a time.
Not yet available
Book 4
Visit the Doctor
The waiting room, the cold end of the stethoscope, and all the bits nobody thinks to explain first.
Not yet available
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For a moment that is only theirs
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Eira also makes personalised audio stories shaped around your child's situation, age, worries and interests.
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