Teddy Bear Anniversary

On November 18, 1902, the Washington Evening Star published a cartoon showing President Teddy Roosevelt while he was on a hunting trip in Mississippi refusing to shoot a mother bear. Candy store operator Morris Michtom and his wife of Brooklyn, NY, obtained the president's permission to use his name on their brown plush toy bar. While stuffed bears have been available for many years, this was the first to be called a teddy bear.
-The Teacher's Calendar, 2008-2009

Murphy, Frank.
The Legend of the Teddy Bear.
2000.
Sleeping Bear Press.

While chuck-full of history, this book will be no bore to children, for they'll love learning about Teddy's (Teddy Roosevelt's) bear! The book very basically describes how the teddy bear came to be, as well as it's namesake! The text is simple and the illustrations colorful - both of which will attract the eyes of children as young as four-years old. This is definitely a great book to share with children on this anniversary of the teddy bear or anytime, especially if they are teddy bear lovers!

Kay, Helen.
The First Teddy Bear.
2005 (1985).
Stemmer House Publishers.

This book, much like The Legend of the Teddy Bear goes to great length to share with readers the history of the "founding" of the "teddy" bear. Sure, stuffed bears had been around a long time, but it wasn't until that fateful day of Teddy Roosevelt's bear hunting adventure that they were dubbed "teddy bears."

This book is great for older readers (ages 8-12), as it is a bit lengthier in text. However, the illustrations and all of the detail provided within make it a very interesting story! I found it interesting that this book mentions how the original teddy bear is now on display, sitting in a glass case at the Smithsonian Institution... I think many children hesistate to "visit" museums because of fear that they will be "boring," but it's things like this that make museum visits such fun - you never know what you'll see!

Lesson Plans/Learning Activities:

• Teddy Bear Story and Comprehension Questions
• Teaching with Teddy Bears

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com.