ANNOTATION

A newly-illustrated version of the song about teddy bears picnicking independently of their "owners."

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A favorite childhood song brought to life by one of America's favorite illustrators, now in a sturdy board-book edition.

"If you go down in the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go down in the woods today
You'd better go in disguise;
For ev'ry Bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain, because
Today's the day the Teddy Bears
Have their picnic."

"The Teddy Bears' Picnic" has been sung and loved by English-speaking children throughout the world ever since it was written. The intrigue conjured up by the teddy bears picnicking independently of their owners continues to capture the imaginations of children everywhere.

Michael Hague's illustrations are simultaneously panoramic and detailed. Against the backdrop of country landscapes, lovable teddies of all shapes and descriptions picnic and play.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The ``mummies and daddies'' who take home the teddy bears at the end of the picnic day are, of course, the boys and girls who own them. They've been hidding in the forest, waiting for the little stuffed bears to wear themselves out. Anyone familiar with the song on which this book is based undoubtedly has pictures of the frolic in mind; Theobalds's charming illustrations complement these ideas, with antique and classic bears in a lush forest setting, playing games and partaking of food and drink carted there in baskets and sacks. A feast of watercolors. Ages 3-7. (August)

Publishers Weekly

A boy joins the bears for a magical forest feast in the board book edition of The Teddy Bears' Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy, illus. by Michael Hague. (May) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

The ill-starred pioneer family of Mary Jane Auch's Journey to Nowhere and Frozen Summer returns in The Road to Home. This installment, set in 1817, finds 13-year-old Remembrance Nye leading her younger siblings back from upstate New York to their grandmother's house in Connecticut. (Holt, $16.95 ages 9-12 ISBN 0-8050-4921-5; July) A companion to Steal Away Home, Lois Ruby's Soon Be Free alternates between a present-day mystery set in a bed-and-breakfast and a historical adventure about a 13-year-old boy who aids four runaway slaves in 1857. (S&S, $17 ages 8-12 ISBN 0-689-83266-4; Aug.) THE TEDDY BEARS' PICNIC Jimmy Kennedy, illus. by Alexandra Day. S&S/Aladdin, $5.99 ISBN 0-689-83530-2. ~ The illustrator of Good Dog, Carl creates a cozy woodland gathering of cuddly bears, inspired by a favorite song. Ages 3-6. (June) BLAZE FINDS THE TRAIL C.W. Anderson. S&S/Aladdin, $4.99 ISBN 0-689-83520-5. ~ Originally published in 1950, this story of Billy and his adventures exploring the forest with his pony is available in paperback for the first time, complete with colorized cover art. Three more Blaze books previously available only in hardcover will follow. Ages 5-8. (July) ~ SECRET LETTERS FROM 0 TO 10 Susie Morgenstern, trans. by Gill Rosner. Puffin, $4.99 ISBN 0-14-130819-2. ~ "Set in France and wrought with energy and wit, this chronicle of a deprived young man whose life is turned topsy-turvy with a new neighbor's arrival is not to be missed," wrote PW in a starred review. Ages 8-12. (Aug.) THE BOXES William Sleator. Puffin, $4.99 ISBN 0-14-130810-9. ~ This tale of a girl who, like Pandora, is given not one but two boxes she is forbidden to open, is filled with the author's "signature high-style ick and suspense," said PW. Ages 8-12. (Aug.) THE MARVELOUS MISADVENTURES OF SEBASTIAN Lloyd Alexander. Puffin, $4.99 ISBN 0-14-130816-8. ~ Spiced with the author's unique brand of wit, this winner of the 1971 National Book Award follows a young adventurer with good intentions through disaster after disaster. Ages 10-14. (July) REACHING DUSTIN Vicki Grove. Puffin, $5.99 ISBN 0-698-11839-1. ~ PW called this "a heartfelt story that unmasks the vulnerabilities of two preadolescents from very different walks of life." Ages 10-up. (Aug.) SOMEONE LIKE YOU Sarah Dessen. Puffin, $4.99 ISBN 0-14-130269-0. ~ PW said this "realistic portrayal of contemporary teens and their moral challenges breathes fresh life into well-worn themes of rebellion and first love." Ages 12-up. (June) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-- No surprises here. The ursine stars of this popular nonsense ditty provide plenty of opportunity for Hague to draw his favorite subjects. In a fairly literal interpretation of the lyrics, he shows lots of teddy bears, in various shapes, sizes, and degrees of cuteness, heading into an autumnal wood to cavort well beyond the watchful eyes of their human owners. Children will not fail to miss the one curious child who follows his own teddy to the picnic site, since he is the one creature whose pale visage and upright posture are distinctly human despite his fuzzy bear costume. ?- Combining realism with romanticism, Hague remains true to his highly recognizable style, creating an appealing fantasy world full of curious details such as lithesome fairies and other fey creatures rendered in pen-and-ink line drawings washed in warm earth tones and livened by touches of soft reds and blues. The arhythmic, and at times, nonrhyming verse, captioned in unobtrusive black-bordered boxes and set against the full double-page illustrations, might read awkwardly to those unfamiliar with the tune. Unfortunately, no musical notation is provided. --Dorothy Houlihan, formerly at White Plains Pub . Lib . , NY