Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
A Bear Called Sunday
Illustrator: Michael Sowa
Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
Bloomsbury, 2004 ISBN: 978-1582349299
When a little boy gets a new teddy bear the first thing he does is to give the bear a name and he decides to call the Bear "Sunday." Sunday becomes very important to the little boy and is his constant companion at bedtime, playtime, meals, and even in the bathroom. Wherever the boy goes, Sunday goes with him.
There comes a day however when the boy begins to wonder if Sunday really is more than just a stuffed animal. After all the bear cannot talk, kiss, hug or eat. Does Sunday reciprocate the boy’s love or he is just an empty piece of fur and fluff? The boy gets angry and gets Sunday so dirty that the poor little bear has to be washed. While the toy is going round and round in the washing machine and later while he is drying on the line, the little boy comes to realize that there must be something more to Sunday than just button eyes and fluffy stuffing. The little boy has a dream in his bear-less bed, a dream which shows him, just possibly, what it might be like to be a teddy bear.
Written in a style which will appeal not only to children but also to adults who have a fondness for bears, this is a book which leaves the reader wondering "what if... ?" There is no doubt that for anyone, of any age, who has doubted the ‘realness’ of their teddy bears, this story will set things straight once and for all. The story captures the magic and love that teddy bears bring into our lives and reminds us how truly special these soft bedtime friends are.
Unpretentious paintings capture the essence of the story and the clarity of the little boy’s dream.
