A young boy called Damian is looking for his one true bear, but bear after bear from the Bear Force isn't up to the task, because Damian is a bit rough. Darcy Brewster is made of the right stuffing, so he offers to go on the treacherous mission to win over Damian. In time and with a lot of love, Darcy and Damian become inseparable.
| One True Bear by Ted Dewan | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A sweet tale of a bear who needs to have the right stuffing to win round a rough boy. Ted Dewan's illustrations are particularly gorgeous. Recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: May 2009 |
| Publisher: Orchard | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1846167140 | |
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One True Bear is a wonderfully sweet story. I was hooked from the very first page of Darcy reporting to duty, and the cheesy Bear Force pun sealed the deal. Darcy's a great role model - Gandhi would be proud - but the message of love over roughness is woven into an engaging tale, rather than being clunkily hammered home. It's heartening to see Damian's progression from menace to hero, and Darcy's rightly proud of him.
As wonderful as the story is, it's the illustrations that are the true highlight. They have a classic charm about them, with the Bear Force scenes awash with the atmosphere of old-fashioned toy rooms, or even Santa's workshop. There's so much to pore over on every page, including Damian's drawings being provided by a number of children, rather than Ted Dewan. You'll want to read and re-read it just to take it all in.
Ted Dewan has a website where you can see examples of his work. There's even a YouTube trailer for One True Bear, which features lots of the artwork from the book. (And anyone whose website says Astrology is as dumb as playing with matches... but at least matches work. is alright by me!) There's plenty to rummage through there, so do take a look. You'll discover just what a lovely book One True Bear is. Recommended.
My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
Teddy bear lovers will be delighted by Where Teddy Bears Come From by Mark Burgess and Russell Ayto. Baggy Brown by Mick Inkpen is also wonderful.
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You can read more book reviews or buy One True Bear by Ted Dewan at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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