My Brown Bear Barney by Dorothy Butler and Elizabeth Fuller

Nothing like a book with repetition to get a child reading. My Brown Bear Barney by Dorothy Butler is a is delightful book which is based on the many common experiences children will have with their beloved soft toy and what goes on in an ordinary household. It looks at outings in the pram, grocery shopping, gardens, visits to the beach and visits to the grand parents, bedtimes, and starting school. It's a book about growth from being a toddler to starting school and that precious relationship a child often develops with his or her favourite toy. Young children will readily identify with the every day objects depicted in the book and the attachment they may have to their own special friend.  Below is a link to the reading of the book by Anne Hartshome:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaYm8R23IUs

Otto: The Autobiography of a Teddy Bear by Tomi Ungerer

Otto is a  German teddy and his first memories are of being stitched together and presented to a Jewish boy for his fifth birthday some years before the outbreak of WWII. David shares his bear with his best friend Oskar, using him for pranks, games and showing him how to operate a typewriter and to write with ink. The purple pink indelible stain which marks his head is an important part of the story. Then comes the war and David is taken away by German soldiers. Hardships are ahead and Otto is to change hands many times throughout the book. Students will find this innocent protagonist appealing and although the book deals with one of the darkest chapters in history, the story with its beautiful ending will prompt important questions and reflection without causing undue stress. A small corner of the Holcaust seen through the eyes of a teddy bear is a truly unforgettable experience.

Where's My Teddy? by Jez Alborough

This beautifully illustrated book is perfect for a bedtime story. In a nutshell it is about mistaken identities and the associated humour that comes with the mix up. It begins with a small boy meandering through a forest desperately searching for his beloved teddy called Freddie. Suddenly he chances upon a huge teddy in the forest which he mistakes for his own Freddie even though he can't understand how he got to be so enormous. Then along strides the real owner! The rhythms and repetitions in the book book enhance the action in the story and make this a great read-aloud book. Jez Alborough's water colour, crayon and pencil drawings underscore the humour in this quirky little tale. This is the miniature version which fits in one hand, and it is shelved on The little bookshelf for little books in the classroom.

A Teddy Bear's Little Instruction Book by David & Tracey Brawn

This is a light-hearted read which adults and children would enjoy alike. It was given to me by a beautiful young student Miriam back in 1996 and I have read it many times. It has some little words of wisdom, some play on words and some advice from a teddy bear's point of view. At the bottom of each page is an ink teddy. You can flip through the pages rapidly to watch a bear descend from the sky with a balloon and do a  short dance routine...or, flip it the other way and watch him do this in reverse. It sits upon one of the shelves in the little shelves of little books.  Here is some great advice if you are a bear.

If you are a bear

*get plenty of exercise - walk round and round the garden

*Eat up - obesity is more acceptable in a bear than anorexia

*Travel in style - not hanging from the rear-view mirror

*Don't become a projectile in domestic disputes

*Never be a substitute handkerchief

*Avoid the indignity of the Lost Property Office

*When camping, take only the bear essentials

*Handwashing is much more gentler than going in the washing machine

*Don't be ashamed if you are stuffed with old tights.