Baby Bear

PERFORMER	David Rudman
DEBUT	1991

Baby Bear in one of his earliest appearances on the street (Episode 2909).

Baby Bear with his best friend, Telly Monster.

Baby Bear shows off a photo of his family in Episode 3773.

Baby Bear in Elmo in Grouchland (puppet variant, with his eyes closer together).

Baby Bear with his creation, Hero Guy

Baby Bear and his sister, Curly Bear.

Peter and the Wolf

Baby Bear is one of the main characters of the classic story, "The Three Bears." In 1991, the character was adapted into Sesame Street and has been an established member of the cast since.

The character was devised by writer Lou Berger, who incorporated him and his perpetual nemesis Goldilocks into his script for Episode 2866, where the two bring his broken chair to the Fix-It Shop. For the episode, performer David Rudman developed the character's signature speech impediment, typically pronouncing his Rs as Ws, to help soften the image of the character as well as having fun with the many R-sounds in the character's dialogue.

Baby Bear began to recur more often starting the following season, often always dealing with Goldilocks. By season 25, he developed a best friendship with Telly Monster. He also began to develop his own unique traits, such as an interest in making art and a rather sophisticated vocabulary. Much like his original story, he has a particular fondness for porridge.

His parents, Papa Bear and Mama Bear, were introduced on the show in 1992. In 2003, his baby sister Curly Bear was born, turning the Three Bears into four.

In Season 31, Baby Bear created an imaginary friend, Hero Guy.

In the 2002 special Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!, it was revealed that Baby Bear's family is Jewish. Just as he shared Jewish traditions with Telly in that special, Baby Bear is seen participating happily in the Sesame Street Easter picnic in the 2007 book Rosita's Easter on Sesame Street; he picks up braided bread from the bakery to bring to the party.

In season 36 and 37, he was seen attending Storybook Community School. In season 45, he instead attends the similarly named Storybook Community Pre-School.

On The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, Baby Bear has been seen running craft services for the show and, in the second season, opening up his own backstage restaurant.

Notes

• His birthday is May 12th.

• He is at least 5 years old, having appeared in a montage of COVID vaccine recipients in the special The ABCs of COVID Vaccines.

• The first Baby Bear puppet was originally used as a cub version of Flo Bear in Episode 2277 (1987). The puppet also appears as one of the woodland audience members of Ernie's Forest Fashions report (First: Episode 2417), as a member of Guy Smiley's audience in one sketch (First: Episode 2646), and as a part of an animal stampede in Episode 2799.

• The puppet was also originally a sack-body Muppet, like Cookie Monster. In season 30, the puppet was completely rebuilt with brighter brown fur, with a new body structure and arms, similar to puppets like Ernie, as well as a little tuft of hair on the top of his head.

• Baby Bear got his first haircut in Episode 3834.

• The storybook character Baby Bear had previously been depicted in season 3 as an Anything Muppet.

Appearances

• Sesame Street (1991 - present)
• Sing-Along Earth Songs
• Sesame Street Stays Up Late
• Stars and Street Forever
• Elmo Saves Christmas
• "Don't Forget to Watch the Movie"
• Do the Alphabet
• Telling the Truth
• Elmo Says BOO!
• Elmopalooza
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show on Sesame Street
• "A Brief History of Motion Pictures"
• The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
• Sesame Street Goes to the Doctor
• CinderElmo
• Let's Make Music
• Elmo's Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf
• Kids' Favorite Songs 2
• Elmo's World: Wild Wild West!
• "We Are Family" music video
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show
• Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!
• Talk, Read, Write
• Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic
• The Street We Live On
• Elmo's Christmas Countdown
• Love the Earth!
• Food for Thought
• Kinect Sesame Street TV
• Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas
• Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration
• The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
• The ABCs of COVID Vaccines

Episodic appearances

• Season 22: 2866
• Season 23: 2909, 2959
• Season 24: 3011, 3015, 3018, 3073, 3088, 3110, 3131
• Season 25: 3136, 3140, 3148, 3163, 3203, 3215, 3216, 3230, 3237, 3240
• Season 26: 3268, 3269, 3277, 3285, 3302, 3306, 3337, 3345, 3356, 3377, 3378, 3381, 3389, 3392
• Season 27: 3396, 3399, 3410, 3421, 3428, 3443, 3445, 3453, 3462, 3463, 3468, 3475, 3486, 3488, 3491, 3506, 3508, 3509, 3516, 3520
• Season 28: 3528, 3532, 3534, 3536, 3538, 3539, 3540, 3552, 3554, 3556, 3561, 3567, 3583, 3591, 3594, 3616, 3624, 3637, 3642, 3654
• Season 29: 3656, 3657, 3664, 3668, 3682, 3684, 3686, 3688, 3689, 3700, 3705, 3706, 3709, 3710, 3711, 3719, 3720, 3725, 3726, 3739, 3760, 3768, 3771, 3773, 3774, 3776, 3778, 3779, 3782, 3785
• Season 30: 3786, 3794, 3795, 3796, 3798, 3806, 3807, 3808, 3810, 3813, 3815, 3816, 3822, 3826, 3829, 3832, 3834, 3835, 3836, 3837, 3841, 3843, 3844, 3845, 3847, 3848
• Season 31: 3851, 3852, 3853, 3856, 3859, 3862, 3863, 3865, 3868, 3869, 3871, 3881, 3882, 3884, 3885, 3888, 3890, 3893, 3894, 3906, 3908, 3914, 3915
• Season 32: 3916, 3920, 3925, 3926, 3927, 3928, 3929, 3942, 3944, 3945, 3948, 3953, 3962, 3966, 3970, 3976, 3977
• Season 33: 3984, 3985, 3987, 3992, 3995, 3996, 3998, 4002, 4011, 4013, 4015, 4017, 4021, 4023, 4028
• Season 34: 4031, 4038, 4040, 4047, 4048, 4049, 4052, 4054-4056
• Season 35: 4058, 4059, 4060, 4061, 4062, 4066, 4073, 4076, 4078
• Season 36: 4083, 4084, 4087, 4089, 4093, 4098, 4101, 4103
• Season 37: 4110, 4118, 4119, 4120, 4121, 4123, 4125, 4130, 4131, 4133
• Season 38: 4137, 4144, 4145, 4155, 4158
• Season 39: 4165, 4167, 4170, 4176, 4186
• Season 40: 4189, 4191, 4193, 4199, 4204, 4208
• Season 41: 4220, 4224, 4225, 4228, 4229, 4233, 4236
• Season 42: 4257, 4264, 4267, 4269, 4274, 4278
• Season 43: 4304, 4325
• Season 44: 4401, 4402, 4408, 4411, 4412, 4415, 4417, 4421, 4423
• Season 45: 4518, 4521
• Season 46: 4610, 4635
• Season 47: 4711
• Season 48: 4828
• Season 49: 4932
• Season 50: 5004, 5034
• Season 51: 5106
• Season 52: 5233
• Season 53: 5317
• Season 54: 5409

Book appearances

• Around the Corner on Sesame Street (1994)
• Elmo Saves Christmas (1997)
• Hooper's Store (2001)
• Spring Fever (2001)
• Spooky Sleep-out (2001)
• Clap Your Hands! (2002)
• Look and Find Elmo (2002)
• Elmo's World: Sports! (2004)
• Fun with Friends (2004)
• Animal Alphabet (2005)
• Fly Away with Big Bird (2006)
• S is for School! (2006)
• Abby Cadabby's Rhyme Time (2007)
• Counting All Around (2007)
• Elmo & Friends Picture Stories (2007)
• Elmo's Busy Day (2007)
• Elmo's Favorite Places (2007)
• Friendly, Frosty Monsters (2007)
• Good Night, Tucked in Tight (2007)
• Have Yourself a Furry Little Christmas (2007)
• Music Player Storybook (2007)
• Rosita's Easter on Sesame Street (2007)
• Sesame Street Super Sticker Book (2007)
• What Makes You Giggle? (2007)
• Color Carnival (2008)
• Elmo's Christmas Countdown (2008)
• Let's Go! with Elmo and Friends (2008)
• Let's Help the Earth (2008)
• Storybook ABCs (2008)
• What's the Word on the Street? (2008)
• Count to 10 (2009)
• Elmo's Christmas Countdown (2009)
• Love, Elmo (2009)
• My Big Book of Firsts (2009)
• Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood? (2009)
• Abby Cadabby Makes a Wish (2010)
• Busy Friends (2010)
• Fun Places (2010)
• Elmo and Abby's Wacky Weather Day (2011)
• Elmo's Christmas Picture Puzzles & Songs (2011)
• Get Ready for School: Colors (2011)
• Grouches Are Green (2011)
• Over on Sesame Street (2012)
• E is for Elmo (2017)
• Elmo's Lift and Slide ABC (2019)
• H is for Home (2020)
• Counta Block (2021)
• Joy to the World (2021)
• Elmo Asks Why (2023)

See also

• Baby Bear (The Muppet Show)