Ted

Having a handful of his own imaginary friends (and also a father whose name happens to be Ted!), my 4yo son just adores this book! The story line is basically that Dad is too busy/preoccupied to spend time with the son, and purply-pink friend Ted (visible only to the boy) shows up to liven things up a little. Ted was the dad's imaginary friend as a child, too, and in the end the Dad gets his priorities in order and "gets in touch with his inner child" again.This is also a good story for grownups to pay attention to as you read it to your child: we should never let ourselves get so busy that we neglect our kids' emotional needs, and just because we don't see things the same way our kids see them doesn't mean that our kids are the ones who are in the wrong.One interesting thing is that the mother in this family is never mentioned, leaving it up to the imagination whether she is there (but just not a player in these scenes) or whether she is gone (due to death or divorce or traveling on business or whatever). But as the story is about the relationship between the father and son (and, of course, purply-pinkish Ted!), my son never questioned where the mommy was or why she wasn't around. To parents raising children in a non-traditional family, this book might be a welcome change of pace.

From the mind of Tony DiTerlizzi comes yet another delightful romp through the imagination entitled Ted. Ted is the imaginary friend of a lonely little boy. Ted looks something like a giant basset hound dipped in Strawberry Quick. The boy's father is a rather busy fellow, being very business like and such. Far too busy to find time to play with his son. Of course this being the time when imaginary friends are needed most up pops Ted. Ted and the boy promptly get themselves into all kinds of mischief. The boy's father doesn't believe in imaginary friends and forbids his son from having them in the house. Later the boy discovers that Ted was his father's imaginary friend when he was a child. In the end the boy is able to prove to his father that Ted is real by leading his father to a playground where a certain item from the man's childhood is hidden. Ted is a solid work from an extremely gifted artist. Certain to be a shinning gem in any child's collection of books.Preston McClear

Ted arrived just after the narrator's birthday. He was huge, purple pink, loved raspberries and was ready to play with the still unplayed with birthday presents (father was too busy and just hadn't had time, yet). After a great game of Monopoly Twister Ted decided to give the young man a hair cut and shave. Father wasn't happy with the results and called Ted imaginary. So Ted decided the easiest way to show father he was real was for the two of them to draw his portrait. Since no piece of paper was large enough, they decided to use the wall. Father didn't appreciate the artwork and was very angry. Ted and his young cohort figured father needed to relax and play and that an indoor swimming pool would be fun, so they flooded father's study with the garden hose. Father was very, very angry and banned all imaginary friends from the house. If Ted had to go, the little boy decided, then he'd go with him and left his father a note saying he was going to live, with Ted, at the old playground...... Tony Diterlizzi has really captured the essence of a little boy who, more than anything wants to spend time and play with his dad. His charming, witty text is only outdone by his superb large, colorful and expressive illustrations that bring the story to life and imaginations will soar as children pore over all the vivid detail in each picture. Youngsters will laugh out loud as they enjoy the antics of this unusual dynamic duo trying to engage father in their fun. With a happily ever after ending that will warm your heart and a simple, gentle message, "Sometimes, when people grow up, they forget how to have fun.", Ted is perfect for youngsters 4-8 and a wonderful read aloud story the whole family should share, together.

Who didn't have an imaginary friend growing up? I wish mine had been Ted, a goofy but lovable friend that inadvertantly gets his real-life pal into fun trouble. My nephews loved the words, the pictures, everything about this book, and more than once I had to satisfy them by flipping back to a favorite scene. A great book!

It just isn't possible to dislike a book that involves a corpulent, fuschia phookha helping a kid get his dad's attention. It certainly got mine! With a storyline relevant to parents and children alike, as well as Mr. Diterlizzi's usual high standard of illustration, this is my new favorite picture book!