Renee Koroshec proudly poses with her new children’s book, New Adventures of Teddy and Tilda Bears. She sits alongside the book’s main characters, Tilda (left) and Teddy, who hold Renee’s first book, The Adventures of Teddy and Tilda, the Corona Bears. Submitted photo.

AURORA — In 2020, I wrote my first book, The Adventures of Teddy and Tilda, the Corona Bears, for children to ease their anxiety during the coronavirus pandemic. The book showed the children how the bears stayed happy, healthy and, at times, even got into mischief.

Surprisingly, the book became documentation to be shared with people’s children and grandchildren. Due to the book being so well received, it is now in its fourth printing. Copies were sold all over the United States as well as Finland and Rome. The bears appeared on WCCO in Minneapolis, Alamac North and WDIO in Duluth.

If you enjoyed the first book, you are going to love New Adventures of Teddy and Tilda Bears. The book follows the bears through a year of new adventures. Teddy and Tilda celebrate some of their favorite holidays and, of course, they get into plenty of mischief. They ride a bus to kindergarten, a library, a zoo, the fire hall and enjoy a snow day when school is canceled after a storm. This book introduces Freddy Bear who joins them on many adventures and becomes their new best friend.

I added a new feature to this book where I ask the children several questions to encourage interaction and participation.

It was fun setting up the photos for the book as I became obsessed with using things I had around the house for props. Coffee cans and wooden spoons became a drum set. A laundry basket was used for their bus, their 4th of July float, a sled, as well as a hockey net. Oven mitts worked for hockey gloves and the coffee can lid was used for the hockey puck. A turkey baster was used for their booster shots. Solo cups were used as the base of their 4th of July hats and a paper plate transformed into a fireman’s hat.

However, I can’t take credit for my favorite prop, The Good Ship Honey Pot. I asked my neighbor Dan Harp to make me a simple ship out of cardboard and he came over with a vessel Noah would have coveted. The only thing I purchased was a giant lollipop that the bears were given after they got their booster shots. In order to get one, I had to order a dozen at $17.

All the photos in the book were taken with my iPhone.

As with my first book, it took the encouragement and help of a village to write my second one. One of my villagers includes Kathy Kiiskinen, my best friend, who started nagging me to write a second book as soon as the first one came out. Other villagers were my family and friends who listened patiently as I went on and on about my ideas.

My daughter Cheri Gerlach and granddaughter Kadyn Kangas came out on some “beary” cold days to set up the snow day shots. Nancy Harp was my punctuation, grammar and spelling police.

None of this would have happened without the expertise, patience and talent of Barb Tucker at Andrew’s Cameras. Every time I wanted to add or change something, she said, “You can do whatever you want because, after all, it is your book.”

I have scheduled the following book signings where you can meet the bears and me and purchase one or both books:

• Monday, August 8, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Andrew’s Cameras, Virginia • Tuesday, August 9, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., The Hive, Aurora • Wednesday, August 10, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Hoyt Lakes Public Library • Thursday, August 11, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Shine Salon and Day Spa, Hibbing

Books can also be purchased at The Blueberry Field in Hibbing, The Hair Gallery in Biwabik, Cutting Edge in Aurora, and the Eclips in Hoyt Lakes.

If purchased locally, the book price is $15. It is $20 by mail, which includes shipping and handling. For more information, you can text or call me at 218-780-6052 or email the bears at teddyandtildabears@gmail.com.

Renee Koroshec, an 82-year-old great-grandmother, lives in Aurora.

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