Teddy: The Remarkable Tale of a President, a Cartoonist, a Toymaker and a Bear - Hardcover

James Sage is the author of over a dozen books for children, including Old Misery, Stop Feedin' da Boids!, Fat Cat and Mr. Beast. James is an American who has lived and traveled in many parts of the world, and now lives in Lincolnshire in the UK.

Lisk Feng is an award-winning illustrator of Everest and A Hug Is for Holding Me. Originally from China, she now works as a freelance illustrator in New York City.

PreS-Gr 2-Sage uses a mix of mainly fact and a bit of speculation to explain how teddy bears got their name and became such a popular toy. President Theodore Roosevelt, also referred to as Teddy or T.R., went hunting during a stay in Missouri, but was unable to shoot a bear. His hosts then found a cub, tied it to a tree, and encouraged him to take a shot. Feeling that it was not sportsmanlike, he declined. At this very time, the editor-in-chief of the Washington Post asked cartoonist Clifford Berryman to create a cartoon that would touch the heart and speak to everyone, and have it ready for the very next day. When a coffee boy told Berryman the story of T.R. that had just come over the newswire, Berryman stayed up creating a cartoon of a caring T.R. refusing to shoot the bear. The rest, as they say, is history. When Mr. and Mrs. Michtom, candy store owners in Brooklyn, saw the cartoon, Mrs. Michtom created a toy bear that her husband placed in the store window with a sign that said: "Teddy's Bear." The toy became so popular, they opened a factory to keep up with the demand. This story is told simply and is accompanied by colorful illustrations that reflect a bygone era. An author's note explains which parts of the story are fiction, and includes a copy of Berryman's original cartoon, a photo of one of the first teddy bears, and a 1950 advertisement for the "original" style bear. VERDICT A wonderful choice for a read-aloud.-Myra Zarnowski, City University of New Yorkα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.