The smallest commercially available teddy bear is only 9mm. A very small bear is called a micro bear and there are many people who make and sell them.
This is the worlds largest teddy bear. It measures 19.41 metres in length and was made by Municipio de Xonacatlán in Mexico. It is more than 215 times the size of the smallest bear and approximately the height of a 4 storey building!
The German company Steiff made 500 ‘mourning bears’ in honor of the victims of the Titanic.
Winnie the Pooh is inspired by a real bear cub bought by a Canadian soldier during World War I. The bear, named Winnipeg, travelled to London by train.
The most travelled toy mascot bear is called Raymondo and travelled 395,605 miles between 2009 and 2010.
A person who collects teddy bears is called an Artophile. This conmes from two Greek words – artos meaning bear and philos meaning loving.
In 2019, Istvánné Arnóczki, won the world record of the largest collection of teddy bears. The collection consists of a whopping 20,367 bears!!!
The term teddy bear was created in 1902 when President Theodore Roosevelt (often referred to as Teddy) was hunting. Some of his attendants capture a black bear and tied it to a tree for the President to shoot. The President refused and not long after was depicted in Clifford Berryman’s cartoon.
Morris Mitchem, who founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co., soon after created Teddy’s Bear – a soft toy cub which was immediately popular.
Lucia Wilson, author of The Adventures of Cedric the Bear (and more!), has written a list of her top picks for the ‘best children’s books with thought-provoking social themes’. Lucia has picked out three wonderful books which all have a social theme running through them, as well as being a great read and conversation starter.
“There is nothing more gratifying when you are reading your own books to a group of children to see that they are eager to know what is going to happen next.”
Head over to Shepherd to be inspired by Lucia’s list!
One of my favourite things to do is to share Cedric’s adventures with children via readings.
I had a lot of fun just before Christmas reading online to a group of Brownies in Leeds. They really enjoyed listening to an extract from the story, Cedric in Paris, which is about the Pet Paralympians and the big race, Le Grand Dash.
Here’s Anne’s illustration of Minnie and Chen, two of the competitors.
After the reading, we had an interesting discussion about disability. I was so impressed by the girls I met and my admiration for the Brownies is boundless! What a great organisation*.
Please get in touch with us via the site if you would like us to do a reading at your school/organisation.
We’d be delighted to oblige!
Lucia x
*You can find out more about the Brownies and the Girl Guides by clicking here.
And here’s a link to the Scouts and the Cubs.
Cedric the Bear 