"Teddy cried, but because he was already wet, no one could see his tears."
Teddy is very old. He is worn out. The children play with him occasionally but most of the time he is tossed into a corner. Then one day he is left at the park. And it rains. And that night he is thrown into a bin. Luckily kind hands arrive, and this sweet old bear is taken home, washed, dried and most importantly LOVED!
"The smiling child hugged him tight and carried him home. ... he was lovingly brushed until his honey-brown coat shone like gold. His nose was fixed, his ear was repaired, and all the holes in his stomach were sewn up. ... He was still old - and a little bit worn - but he was no longer ragged and torn. And his heart was filled with love."
When it begins to rain Teddy becomes truly miserable. Wet, with the tear in his tummy and a loose ear, Teddy is the picture of dejection. But then something extraordinary happens, a little child takes Teddy out of the garbage bin when he was thrown and Teddy is taken to his new home. After a bath and some careful repair work Teddy is once again a bear who is ready to be played with and loved, and that is just what happens. Soft blue background washes give a gentle mood to this simply written and beautifully illustrated picture book. There can be no doubt in the reader's mind that Teddy has feelings and needs; his poses and expressions say it all. Looking Glass reviews
Here is my old bear - he is very loved. Scroll down through this post to read more about my Little Ted.
On a Facebook forum this week someone talked about culling/weeding their library and their fear (I have this fear too) of removing books that are actually treasures. Yes, we do all love new books (and new things and new clothes) but really over the last 30+ years there have been some utterly wonderful children's books published and while some are dated now, many are not.
My book today Ragged Bear was published in 1996. I picked it from a library display entitled 'Cuddle your teddy bear'. I noticed this book was published by North South - you probably already know I am a huge fan of North South books. The library I visit takes a lot of care to cover and process their books which means even old books like this are usually in close to mint condition. Ragged Bear has been borrowed five times since it arrived in the library in 1999. There is absolutely no reason to cull this book. It is a story to treasure and share.
Please look for these books too - they would be perfect to read with Ragged Bear or just to read if you cannot find Ragged Bear and you want to enjoy books about treasured teddy bears and lost toys or books with a similar emotional tone.
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