Big Bear's Book - Hardcover

Bjork, Christina

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9129629128 ISBN 13: 9789129629125

Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1994

Synopsis

Big Bear tells the story of Christina's ten teddy bears, since he's the oldest and wisest, and remembers the time Christina broke her arm, her father's bedtime stories, and the terrible teenage years when she almost forgot her bears.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4 Up?An anecdotal history of Bjork's collection of teddy bears and assorted toy friends, as told by Big Bear (with the aid of his owner). He describes himself as the smartest, most responsible "head of the teddy-bear bureau (and the little-red-doll bureau)." He relates a charming blend of real and made-up adventures, including the bedtime stories the author's parents told featuring her toy friends. The Bjork family loved books, and the child's encounters with The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, Heidi, Winnie the Pooh, and The Wind in the Willows will delight other book lovers. As she grows up and puts away her toys, Big Bear and the others seem doomed to a permanent stay in the attic. They are brought down, though, by their adult owner, now living on her own, and their tale ends happily, with Big Bear headed for a career in the movies. Concluding essays, written in Bjork's adult voice, discuss her love for teddy bears. An afterword, written by a doctor/psychologist, affirms the value of these stuffed toys. Big Bear's Book is a whimsical reminiscence of childhood. Not unlike a family album, it is filled with intimate details and family photos. By and large, though, the book's appeal is primarily for adults.?Marilyn Taniguchi, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist:

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Teddy-bear lovers everywhere will delight in this unusual and imaginative book. As told by Big Bear, the oldest and smartest of Christina's childhood teddy bears, the narrative is an interesting hodgepodge of stories, ranging from charming bedtime tales Bjork's father told her as a young girl to the history of the teddy bear. There are numerous black-and-white illustrations; vintage photographs, many dating back to the early 1900s, are generously sprinkled throughout the text. (Some of these, however, won't make much sense to today's children, even with the aid of an adult.) Also included are a bibliography of teddy-bear literature, a listing of "toy museums with nice teddy bears," and the address of Good Bears of the World, an organization that donates teddy bears to homeless or abused children. Lauren Peterson

About this edition

• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 9129629128
• ISBN 13: 9789129629125
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 78