The Worst Teddy Ever

by Marcelo Verdad

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Marcelo Verdad's author-illustrator debut has the wit and charm to match some of our favorite bestselling children's authors. I can't give away the clever twist that makes The Worst Teddy Ever an instant favorite, but trust me, you'll smile and nod and giggle when you get there. Perfect for fans of Mina and A Mouthful of Minnows.

Publishing simultaneously in English and Spanish, here is a sweet, funny author-illustrator debut about the unrecognized heroes in our lives, for fans of Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson.

Noa LOVES Teddy. But Teddy is ALWAYS tired! Why is Teddy always too sleepy to play with Noa during the day? It turns out that Teddy has a good reason, and Noa is in the dark about what’s happening behind the scenes at night...when Teddy works tirelessly to protect his little boy from a colorful ensemble of unwelcome nighttime visitors! 

At once laugh-out-loud funny and endearing, Marcelo Verdad's outstanding debut picture book explores how expectations don’t always allow us to see others for who they truly are, and how sometimes what we want isn’t always what we need.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316330459
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/18/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	46,080
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Marcelo Verdad is an author and illustrator from México who likes to tell stories from unconventional perspectives. He graduated from ArtCenter College of Design, where he came upon the Children's Book Illustration class and immediately fell in love with kids' books. He is a member of SCBWI, and was one of the recipients of the Mentorship Award at SCBWI's 2019 Summer Conference. The Worst Teddy Ever is his picture book debut. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
 

Editorial Reviews

The plot is a fun, reassuring twist on several common themes. Great for bedtime or anytime.”—Kirkus Reviews

"The artwork in this debut picture book has that Todd Parr appeal of familiarity and achievability for toddlers and young children…. the message of teddy bears as nighttime protectors will be comforting to many a tiny reader."—Booklist

* "Verdad's debut picture book is an absolute delight."—BCCB

“Verdad’s illustrations…have a playful feel that recalls Christian Robinson’s child-centric style…adorable in their simplicity.”—Horn Book

"A warm story for explaining that underlying answers aren’t always obvious, and that readers can’t know what others are going through. Good for read-alouds and SEL shelves."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

12/23/2022

PreS-Gr 2—Noa loves her teddy, but gets pretty annoyed that he is always tired. She feels like Teddy is always napping, unlike the other kids' super awesome friends. But, when Noa goes to sleep, it turns out that Teddy has a super important and exhausting job. Verdad has created a wonderful story that will make readers believe it's going in a different direction than it does. The simple vocabulary makes apparent whether it is Noa's or Teddy's perspective, and what they are feeling, and neither drags on for too long. Verdad's illustrations show the character's emotions as well as the events and experiences of the story; also shown is Teddy's ongoing activities, night and day! The contrast in colors will also cue readers in to the time differences, providing adults and children a story to cuddle up to that makes a subtle point about never knowing another person—or a teddy bear's—whole story. This book has many uses in the classroom, for supporting conversations about misunderstandings, learning to read between the lines, and not assuming. VERDICT A warm story for explaining that underlying answers aren't always obvious, and that readers can't know what others are going through. Good for read-alouds and SEL shelves.—Margaret Kennelly

School Library Journal

2022-07-27
An unusual teddy-child relationship.

Noa, a brown-skinned child with scribbled black hair, loves taking Teddy to the breakfast table, the playground, and everywhere else, in the tradition of children with their favorite stuffed animals. But Noa is frustrated—the small, brown, round-eared bear is always sleepy, shown with line eyes drawn in the classic “asleep” curve. It’s somewhat unclear if this is in Noa’s imagination or if Teddy is actually sentient enough to be exhausted, but after an abrupt transition, the bright-yellow day scenes turn to dark-blue night. A ghost, the Boogeyman, the Tooth Fairy, and the Tickle Monster all drop by, just to visit, but Teddy doesn’t let them interrupt Noa’s sleep and sends them all kindly on their ways. Noa never discovers that Teddy is sleepy because of this nightly defense. There are some minor hiccups in the story’s pacing, and a reliance on all uppercase words to indicate emphasis (“Or at least they TRY to….Teddy is ALWAYS tired!”) points toward a blunter storytelling style. But this is more than made up for by the delightful, childlike illustrations, created with paper cutouts, acrylics, crayons, and digital collage, that brim with deep emotion and barely contained energy and will immediately appeal to young children. The plot is a fun, reassuring twist on several common themes. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Great for bedtime or anytime. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews