Carolyn Mott Ford (Children's Literature)
So often stories about the homeless, whether written for children or adults, tend to be overly sentimental, preachy or simplistic, but this is a warm and wonderful story with heart and tenderness. Kids will benefit from reading about this teddy bear who is loved by two very different people who nonetheless share all the human emotions such as love and loss, as well as the very human need for the steady comfort of someone, or something, to care for. A little boy loses his precious teddy, but a bearded man in raggedy clothes picks up the bear. As the story progresses, the man and bear form a bond and the little boy demonstrates a wonderful generosity. This story is based upon a scene the author-illustrator happened upon one cold winter evening when he saw a man with a teddy bear under his arm settle down into a Dumpster. The watercolor and ink illustrations capture the emotions and give the reader a strong sense of the atmosphere and background in which the story takes place. 2002, Henry Holt and Company, $15.95. Ages 4 to 8.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2003)
A teddy bear accidentally left in a restaurant by a little boy ends up in the trash, where a homeless man finds and claims him. The little boy is heartbroken at losing his bear. And the bear misses the child. But as time passes the boy thinks about the bear less and less, and the bear is not unhappy in his new life. The man loves and cares for him. A chance encounter months later in a park reunites boy and bear, until the boy sees that the man loves the bear, too. And, more important, the man needs him. David McPhail's touching story is sparely yet wonderfully told. It never strays to sweetness or moralizing even as if offers children the opportunity to think deeply about generosity, compassion, and love. Watercolor and ink illustrations add visual richness to a story already brimming with warmth. CCBC categories: Picture Books For Older Children; Issues In Today's World. 2002, Henry Holt, 32 pages, $15.95. Ages 4-7.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2002 (Vol. 70, No. 7))
Lost and found and lost and returned-this teddy brings a lot of happiness and leaves sadness in its wake, but McPhail's (Mud Is Cake, p. 425, etc.) tale turns on the perceptiveness and sensitivity of a young boy. That young lad had a teddy bear, his favorite toy of all, and he and the teddy lived in a warm and protective home (gorgeously drawn in hearty and touching watercolor and ink). The teddy is lost in a moment of forgetfulness and is found by a homeless man who tucks the bear away in his pocket. Gradually, the boy adjusts to not having his bear and gradually, the bear adjusts to his new circumstances. The man takes the bear everywhere, just like the boy once did. On a spring day, the man put the bear on a park bench while he did some scavenging nearby, and the boy and his parents happen past. The boy is exultant (his parents are nonplused), and he sweeps the bear up and walks away with him. Then he hears a mournful howl. It is the homeless man, a man who has lost his best friend. The boy returns to the man, aware of what has happened: " 'Is this your bear?' the little boy asked. . . . 'Thank you,' he said to the little boy. 'I don't know what I'd do without him.' 'I know what you mean,' said the little boy.' " Although this is a story about kindness, love, and compassion, it is also a worthy reminder that the down-and-out have feelings and needs just as keen as the reader's. 2002, Henry Holt, $15.95. Category: Picture book. Ages 3 to 7. © 2002 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2002)
After a boy loses his beloved teddy bear, it becomes the cherished companion of the homeless man who finds it. Later, the boy has a chance to reclaim the lost toy, but since he understands how it feels to miss one's bear, he lets the homeless man keep it. Coupled with the understated text, the evocative illustrations enhance the story's poignancy. Category: Preschool. 2002, Holt, 32pp, $15.95. Ages 2 to 5. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.