The Roosevelt Bears

When Elsa and I ended up on the couch with Lyme disease in the winter of 2014, unable even to get our eyes to read due to the neurological symptoms, we turned to audiobooks. Our local library didn't have many we were interested in, so we soon began searching online. 

That led us to discover Librivox, a free online collection of volunteer recordings of public domain books. Though most readers are not professional, we have since enjoyed book after book as if a friend or relative is reading aloud to us.

At some point during the hours of listening (often along with knitting: a proven pain-reducing combination!), an old dream began to revive for me. Years ago when my Grandpa, an avid reader, was first losing his sight to macular degeneration, I wanted to record books for him to listen to. But when we realized this would be violating copyrights, I gave up the idea.

Now I had found a way to record public domain books that could be enjoyed by anyone, anytime! But I still had to wait until my eyes and voice were strong enough to read aloud again.

In January of 2015 I joined the team of Librivox volunteers, learning the ropes as I read a few chapters and parts for books and dramatic readings already in progress (such as Little Women and Rilla of Ingleside.) Later I launched my first solo project, picking a short, obscure children's book for starters.

The Roosevelt Bears: Their Travels and Adventures was a hilarious book I found at a state park gift shop on vacation one winter. With much laughter, my family and I enjoyed its comical duo of bears described in rhyme.  

Two Roosevelt Bears had a home out West
In a big ravine near a mountain crest,
Where they ate their meals and took their rest,
And gathered sunshine and strength and cheer,
And welcomed friends from far and near.
…
The black bear’s name was TEDDY-B;
                The B for black of brown you see,
                                Or bright or bold or brave or boss:
                                                He was always kind and seldom cross.

The grey bear’s name was TEDDY-G;
                The G for grizzly or gray or gay, for he
                                Was as full of fun as a bear can be.
                                                Not B for bad and G for good
                                                                The black bear wanted it understood.

If you need to smile some day, here and here are links to the audiobook I finished in July. :-)

Online searching showed me that Seymour Eaton wrote several more volumes of these bears' adventures. But only one more is currently scanned and posted to read online. (Otherwise one could spend hundreds of dollars to buy the century-old publications!)

This time I got the help of other volunteers to record The Roosevelt Bears Abroad. It can be enjoyed as an audiobook here and here.

Now I am on to the book I really wanted to record and share, What's Mine's Mine by George MacDonald. But this one is so long it will take at least a year at my current rate!