Theodora Bear

Theodora is a new-age bear living in a communal house with an assortment of stuffed animals and their human companion, Harriet. Harriet is all-too often a slave to the whims of the menagerie. With her stinging sense of humor, she somehow manages to keep the collective functioning. Like all the best children's stories, there is entertainment for the adults, as well.

Not like our animal cousins, we are born helpless and swimming for our lives. So the calming centering energy of a good story will sometimes more than anything else provide a little solace in this storm. Carolyn Jones's children's book Theodora Bear provides just this salve. Of course my main test of a good children's book is to see if it makes me cry. Her story passed the test. Something about it returns me to a more innocent and sweet part of myself. The story capture's the basic parent-child relationship in the form of a little girl and her stuffed animals. What is inspiring about the story is that the child gets to embody the omnipotent yet loving mother that always knows best. So inspiring in fact, that if she were running for president I would vote for her. What is so comforting about the story is that problems are always solved, conflicts are always worked out, and all the toasted marshmallows get shared, thus being clearly different from our mainstream world. And the justice dispensed with is always wise and resourceful making sure no one stuffed animal is more equal then any other stuffed animal. The drawings are great; they have that old fashion spider's web spin and look to them with wonderful child-like expressions on all the stuffed animals. One of the best children's books I have read in a long, long time.

At last, Teddy Bear has a female counterpart! Author Carolyn Jones captures the voices and inclinations of children with great authenticity and genuine affection. With dialogue reminiscent of A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh series, "Theodora Bear" is entertaining and whimsical, and the illustrations are charming.

This imaginative first book, by Canadian author Carolyn Jones, is a delight to share with your child. It is especially nice to read aloud to a younger child, or if your child is old enough to read, to take turns reading aloud. Harriet is a young girl who has a busy life with her many demanding stuffed animals, including the visiting Theodora Bear. The antics of the animals are very like those of little children, so this pushes Harriet into a parental role in relation to her toys. Interesting adventures include: Harriet and her friend Carla try to relax and watch a movie at home with all the toy animals, but the experience is anything but relaxing; the girls plan a camping trip that morphs into "camping" at home with the animals; an item meant for Theodora's dinner becomes a family pet; Harriet shares a bed with Theodora, only to be crowded out; and the animals try to make lunch. The illustrations by Barbara Spurll are eye-catching and beautifully detailed, and add a lot of charm to the book.