Product Description

One hundred years ago, Teddy Roosevelt refused to shoot a helpless bear. A toy maker in Brooklyn honored the noble act by creating a plush, stuffed toy with movable arms and legs and a bright, bearish face. The teddy bear was born. A century later this bear has inspired beloved stories, a hit song, and numerous silly, sad, and loving poems, many of which are gathered here in a big, full-color treasury. The collection includes a chapter each from Winnie-the-Pooh and A Bear Called Paddington; the full text of Corduroy; poems by Shel Silverstein, Judith Viorst, A. A. Milne, and others; a song; and a lively illustrated history of the world's favorite toy.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #508113 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 64 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Youngsters can celebrate the Teddy bear's 100th birthday with Famous Bears & Friends: One Hundred Years of Teddy Bear Stories, Poems, Songs, and Heroics by Janet Wyman Coleman, illus. by various artists. A dispute still lingers about who invented the stuffed bear (Was it a pair of Russian immigrant toymakers living in Brooklyn or Germany's Margarete Steiff?) and the alternate histories (plus the legend of Teddy Roosevelt's contribution to the toy bear's nickname) kick off this affectionate homage. A chapter each from Winnie-the-Pooh and A Bear Called Paddington; Don Freeman's complete Corduroy; and poems by A.A. Milne, Shel Silverstein and Judith Viorst contribute to this handsomely designed treasury.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 3 Up-Many people are familiar with the story of Teddy Roosevelt refusing to shoot an injured bear, and thus inspiring the creation of the teddy bear. Coleman offers this story, as well as the tale of German seamstress Margarete Steiff and the stuffed-animal empire she launched at roughly the same time. Coleman's book is a veritable love letter to these beloved toys, sprinkling stories and poems of favorite bears such as Winnie-the-Pooh, Paddington, and Corduroy with factual histories of their creators. Real-life stories of teddy bears such as Senior Under Officer Edward Bear, the mascot of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst's Parachuting Club, and Kumataro, the first teddy bear in space, round out the collection. Crisp photographs illustrate the historical segments, while illustrations from the original books accompany the stories and poems. With its wide, square format and generous use of white space and decorative borders, this collection is sure to be a hit with teddy bear aficionados, though its appeal may be more for adult collectors than for children.
Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. To celebrate the one-hundredth birthday of the teddy bear, Coleman offers a beautifully designed collection of teddy bear history and story. Her introduction relates the story of Teddy Roosevelt's famous refusal to shoot an exhausted bear and the political cartoon that captured the moment. A. A. Milne's "Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees" and a photographic essay about Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, follow. Essays about the Titanic bear, the Steiff empire, and the origin of Michael Bond's Paddington are interspersed with the words and music to a "Teddy Bears' Picnic," a story about Paddington, and the complete text of Don Freeman's Corduroy. This is a solid, handsome collection for teddy bear lovers, children and adults alike. Kathy Broderick
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Great for all ages.
This is a beautifully written and illustated book. Wonderful to read to toddlers and younger children and a treat for older children (of all ages). The Teddy Roosevelt story is worth the whole book.

Wonderful for the teddy bear enthusaist!!!
This was a great book. It tells you everything from the history of teddy bears to little bear legends. I love teddy bears and found this book very interesting. My only complaint was that it was a tad short. If you love teddy bears then you'll love this book. It's great for any age to enjoy!

what a pleasure
This book is a great read-aloud. My son was drawn to his "favorite" bears like Pooh and Paddington, then was happy to stick around and learn about actual, unusual teddy bears. We loved the story about the one on the Titanic.