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Summary
Summary
The teddy bears' picnic gets a modern twist in this warm and fuzzy picture book about a young teddy bear who learns that small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
Ollie is a regular bear with a regular job. He listens to his girl's stories about her days, he snuggles her to sleep and he is there waiting when she gets home from school. Just your typical teddy bear stuff. So when he is whisked away to the annual teddy bears' picnic, he feels insignificant compared to the other bears who do daring and daunting things- sleepovers, hospital stays--even a night in the lost and found!
After small talk with a regional stuffing manager, a department of cuddling official and a stitchery inspector; a stop at the snack table; and even some team building activities, it's time for the teddy bear service awards . . . and Ollie feels even more small and unimportant. But he soon learns that it's not just the big things that matter, it's the little things too.
While parents will love the tongue-in-cheek office-party details, kids and parents alike will fall in love with Ollie- a sweet bear who discovers that his love for his girl makes him very special indeed.
Author Notes
VIKKI VANSICKLE is the author of a number of acclaimed novels for children including Words That Start With B , Summer Days , Starry Nights, the award-winning The Winnowing and the adorable picture book If I Had a Gryphon . Vikki started her career as a bookseller at The Flying Dragon, and she now balances her writing career with her job as Marketing Director at Penguin Random House Canada Young Readers. Vikki lives in Toronto with a cat named Barb who does not care for teddy bears OR magic.
SYDNEY HANSON was raised in Minnesota alongside numerous pets and brothers. When she wasn't tunneling through snowdrifts or rescuing frogs from rain gutters, she was drawing. In addition to illustrating her favorite things--animals, the natural world, and, of course, teddy bears--Sydney is an experienced 2D and 3D production artist. Sydney lives in Vancouver with her newest brother, a Labrador retriever named Cash.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
VanSickle takes teddy bears' work seriously in this fanciful story. Ollie, who is on the clock beginning "weekdays at three," loves his gig as a teddy bear. One night, a ship arrives outside his girl's window, and a grizzled teddy escorts Ollie to a fairy-like setting deep in the woods: his first-ever teddy bears' picnic, featuring new friends, sweets, and even "bearaoke." When a ceremony recognizing "excellence in teddy-care" begins, Ollie fears he's too "ordinary" to be acknowledged but soon receives the "Teddy Bear of the Year" award for excelling at the teddy-care ABCs ("Always Be Cuddling"). VanSickle amuses with on-the-job lingo, and Hanson's enchanted scenes highlight teddies' ability to comfort. Ages 3--7. (Jan.)
Kirkus Review
Ollie, a friendly teddy bear, has the best job ever: taking care of "his girl, Amena."One night while Amena sleeps, a silver sailboat appears at her window with an old teddy bear at the helm, there to take Ollie to the Teddy Bears' Picnic for his very first time. At the picnic, Ollie meets "teddies of all shapes and sizes" and is introduced to some of them"Scottie, from the Department of Bedtime Planning; Mr. Pants, Chief Cuddling Officer"before participating in "bearaoke" and the other activities. While VanSickle's playful use of corporate-speak describes and connects the personality of each bear with its name, Hanson reinforces this, painting a tartan bear and a bear with endearingly high-waisted pants; soft, warm hues of greens and blues and bright lights illuminate this party deep in the woods. During the meeting that follows the games, bears are recognized for demonstrating "excellence in teddy-care." Hearing the encomiums, Ollie feels "smaller and smaller," thinking he is just an "ordinary bear." Ollie is in for a surprise, learning that small acts like cuddles and kind words can have big effects. VanSickle writes a kind, fuzzy story, but readers will note it's very binary, evident in the repetition of phrases "his girl" and "her boy" when referring to the bears' charges. Amena has light-brown skin and loosely curling dark-brown hair.Sincerely celebrates kindness and comfort. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
