Three Stories You Can Read to Your Teddy Bear

March 27, 1995
``When you feel bored, you read a book. But dogs can't read,'' Miller points out. Lest people have all the fun, she's designed this chapter book with canine sensibilities in mind. Each tale is addressed to ``you good dog,'' enabling readers to speak directly to a pet. ``The Burglar'' testifies to the fierceness and bravery ``you'' exhibit after hearing a knock on the door; ``The Bone'' chronicles the history of a gift from ``your friend,'' including a dream sequence about a splendid ``bone tree''); and ``The Wild Dog'' is an adventure in which ``you'' frighten a car, chase a squirrel and triumphantly return home for a can of food and a nap. Kelley (I Really Want a Dog) sketches a floppy brown Everydog who wags attentively at the narrator's voice, then enacts each role of eating, sleeping and protecting the house; the illustrator's familiarity with doggy expressions and gestures serves Miller's volume well. Humans will find these selections entertaining even without a hound present-but it's always nice to share. Ages 7-10.

March 22, 2004
Three Stories You Can Read to Your Teddy Bear by Sara Swan Miller, illus. by True Kelley, follows earlier books to be read to dogs and cats (perhaps targeted to children who aren't allowed pets). The second-person narrative proffers three stories about Teddy when his friend leaves each day (ostensibly for school). With a newly discovered ability to walk, Teddy sets out to explore the house; his exuberance is tempered by a healthy number of "bonks" to the nose as he tends to fall flat on his face every few steps.

June 1, 2004
Gr 1-4-These lighthearted, easy-to-read tales are told from a stuffed animal's ingenuous point of view. In the first, bored Teddy decides to see if he is capable of movement and discovers that he can walk, albeit in a bumbling fashion. Exploring, he tumbles down the stairs: "Who knew walking would be so hard on your nose?" When his owner finds him, the dog is blamed and the toy is returned to his post on the bed. In the second story, Teddy makes his way to the kitchen where he wreaks havoc in the cupboard until he finds and consumes a jar of honey. This time, the cat is blamed for the mess and the bear is subjected to an awful bath and placed on the windowsill to dry. The final chapter finds the stuffed animal tumbling out of the window and investigating the outdoors. He enjoys the new sensations and plays with the dog until his owner returns. Teddy earns another washing, but falls asleep contemplating further adventures: "And my friend will NEVER guess my secret!" Kelley's cartoon illustrations with their squiggly, busy lines are full of movement and humorous detail. The charming protagonist will win readers' affection as he bounces back from each pitfall, confidence intact. This fun-filled escapade will not disappoint fans of the other "Three Stories" books and may just win some new ones.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2004
Gr. 1-3. For kids whose family no-pet policy may have hindered full appreciation of Miller and Kelley's first two books, " Three Stories You Can Read to Your Cat" (1993) and " Three Stories You Can Read to Your Dog" (1995), this addition to the series spotlights a noiseless, dander-free companion: the teddy bear. Three fanciful tales are addressed to Teddy in the same second-person voice as the other books, and are set in the same household, allowing for amusing cameos from the previously featured dog and cat. When Teddy secretly teaches himself to move around, the pets wind up taking the blame for his perambulations--and his mischief. Miller's gently idiomatic prose ("Who knew walking would be so hard on your nose?") is ideal for children just easing into early chapter books, and though Kelley's teddy bear is not as expressive as her "real-life" animals, her wiggly-lined watercolors do capture Teddy's unsteadiness on his feet. A droll addition to the cotton-brained bear category of children's literature. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)