Project Description

Picture Books

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The Boy Who Thought He Was a Teddy Bear

by Jeanne Willis
illustrated by Susan Varley

With a little help from three meddling fairies, a young human baby falls under the care of three roly-poly teddy bears, Big Teddy, Middle Teddy, and Little Teddy.

The teddy bears are eager to care for their new charge, and with the best intentions and a lot of love, the bears set out to raise him, instructing him in the ways of teddy bears. Soon, the transition from boy to teddy is nearly complete. He sits on shelves and sleeps in cupboards. He is cuddly like a teddy. But one day, a knock on the door turns his teddy bear world upside down.

Illustrator Susan Varley’s charming illustrations humorously depict the young boy’s teddy bear antics in Jeanne Willis’s gentle fairy tale that features a reassuring ending.

Format: Hardcover
Price: $15.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-270-5
Publication Date: 9/1/2002
Page Count: 32
Size: 10-1/4″x 8-1/2″
Age Range: 3 – 7
Language: English
AR Level: 2.8
F&P: GRL L, Gr 2, Genre F
Themes: Family, Imagination, Teddy Bears

Reviews

“Very charming…an artful, deep reminder of how pleasurable it is for kids to have teddy in attendance…Varley’s pen-and-wash art has teddy’s essential qualities: homey, disheveled, and warm.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“The genuine sweetness of this story is hard to resist.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Delightful… The text is lively, and the softly colored, clear illustrations give the characters wonderful personalities that will tickle reader’s funny bones.” ―School Library Journal

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Meet the Author

Jeanne Willis is the author of numerous books, including The Boy Who Thought He Was a Teddy Bear, The Monster Bed, and The Monster Storm, all illustrated by Susan Varley; The Rascally Cake (winner of the Children’s Book Award); and the Dr. Xargle series. She lives in England.

Meet the Illustrator

Susan Varley is the award-winning illustrator of numerous books for children, including The Boy Who Thought He Was a Teddy Bear, Captain Small Pig, The Monster Bed, and The Monster Storm (both written by Jeanne Willis). She is also the author-illustrator of Badger’s Parting Gifts, which has sold more than a half a million copies worldwide and received numerous awards. Varley lives in England.