A bear in war

Format:

Book

Title:

A bear in war

Author:

Innes, Stephanie.

ISBN:

9781554700974

Publication Information:

Physical Description:

38 unnumbered pages : color illustrations ; 26 cm

Summary:

Told from the point of view of a small teddy bear, one Canadian farm family misses their father, Lawrence Rogers, as he fights for England in World War I. They send Teddy to keep him company. Based on true accounts and written by the great-granddaughter of Lawrence Browning Rogers.

Subject(s):

World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile literature.

Soldiers -- Canada -- Juvenile literature.

Teddy bears -- Juvenile literature.

Father and child -- Juvenile literature.

Heroes -- Juvenile literature.

Picture books for children.

World War, 1914-1918.

Geographic Term:

Genre:

Picture books for children.

Added Author:

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... McMinnville Public Library	940.3 Innes	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

In 1916, at the height of the First World War, a Canadian teddy bear travelled all the way to France in a care package destined for Lawrence Browning Rogers--a gift from his ten-year-old daughter, Aileen. When Teddy returned from the front lines, more than a year later, he did so alone: Lieutenant Rogers, along with many other Canadian soldiers, died at the battle of Passchendaele. Today, Teddy resides in a glass display case at the Canadian War Museum--one of the most beloved exhibits in the building. Small and brown and nothing at all like a modern stuffed bear, Teddy has an amazing story to tell. In 2002 Lawrence's granddaughter, Roberta Rogers Innes, found Teddy, the letters and other war memorabilia inside a large family briefcase. As she delved deeper, Roberta discovered how a Canadian family's strength was tested during the First World War and how a tiny bear became an enduring memento of their love. Now, in A Bear in War , Stephanie Innes (Roberta's daughter) and Harry Endrulat share Teddy's remarkable story--from his life in East Farnham, Quebec, and his voyage overseas to his eventual journey home. Each chapter in Teddy's tale is brought to life through Brian Deines' poignant art. The result is a powerful, moving piece of literature--a picture book destined to become a Canadian classic.

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 1-3-In Quebec during World War I, Aileen Rogers sent her cherished teddy bear overseas to protect her father, a medic, on the front lines. The bear, who "fought the war in the pocket of a hero," is the narrator. With sensitivity, he describes his experiences: "Sometimes we got hurt when a bomb exploded nearby. Sharp things would hit us." When Lawrence Browning Rogers is killed at the battle of Passchendaele, his uniform, his medal of bravery, and Teddy are sent to his family. In Deines's evocative, softly focused pastel illustrations, a battlefield scene shows soldiers and a knapsack with a red cross on it in the shadowy foreground. Inspired by true events, the book includes archival photographs of the Rogers family, a newspaper clipping from 1916, and the Canadian government's report of Lieutenant Rogers's death. A moving remembrance.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Review

In 1916, ten-year-old Aileen Rogers sent her father, a medic in the trenches of Belgium, her own small teddy bear as a Christmas gift. Lt. Rogers put the bear in his uniform pocketwhere it was discovered after his death at the battle of Passchendaele. Fellow soldiers shipped Teddy home along with Rogers's medals, uniforms and letters; they now make up a permanent exhibit in the Canadian War Museum (co-author Innes is Aileen Rogers's granddaughter). Told simply and effectively from Teddy's point of view, the narration focuses on the Rogers family's life before the war and the loneliness they felt when separated from each other. The design interposes Deines's soft-edged illustrations with actual artifacts belonging to the Rogers family (photographs, report cards, Circumstances of Death Report). He brings both a sense of intimacy (Aileen's hands putting Teddy in a box) and universality (an iconic soldier vanishing in a field of poppies) to the text. A lovely book, of special interest to Canadians. (epilogue) (Picture book. 5-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Based on debut author Innes' family history, this moving picture book, co-authored by Endrulat, blurs the border between fiction and nonfiction as it tells the story of Innes' great-grandfather, a Canadian soldier killed in the trenches of World War I. The narrator is a teddy bear, with whom Aileen, 10, shares her secrets about life on a farm in Quebec. Together, the words and warm, unframed illustrations show the loving family and their wrenching parting when Daddy is sent to fight. Aileen mails Teddy to Daddy to remind him of home and to keep him safe, and Teddy tells how he watches the war from Daddy's front pocket until, in 1917, Daddy dies in battle. Then a soldier sends Teddy back to his family with Daddy's uniform and medals, all of which are now in the Canadian War Museum. The bear's viewpoint and the sepia-toned family photos set the personal loss against the harsh history, which is further detailed in recruiting posters, medals, and the final death report of Daddy, killed in action. Innes' epilogue completes this moving offering.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2009 Booklist