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.