Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2002)

Starred Review Far from the usual lost-and-found teddy-bear fun, McPhail tells a story of human kindness, in which a toddler reaches beyond himself. By accident a boy leaves his beloved bear in a diner. A homeless man finds it in the garbage and loves the bear as much as the boy did. Then one day the boy sees the bear on a park bench and joyfully grabs it. But when he recognizes the lonely man's sorrow at losing his friend, the child returns the toy. Sentimental? Sure it is. But it works because McPhail's beautiful soft-toned watercolor pictures with detailed ink cross-hatching tell the elemental story of shelter and love through the child's eyes. The boy is snug in his cozy home and in his parents' arms, and though he misses his bear, he has lots of friends and new toys. The bear is also part of the child, a kind of alter ego, and when the bear is lost, it becomes like the homeless man--without shelter or connection--until it's safe in the warm embrace of a new owner. The picture of the man and bear sleeping together in a dumpster is unforgettable, and the gentle words and pictures never minimize how hard it is for the boy to let go. When he finally does, with his mother and father beside him, he knows that his bear and the man are safe together.

Horn Book

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.

Kirkus Reviews

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. (Picture book. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This sweet if romanticized tale of a homeless man who adopts a lost teddy bear, and the generous young owner who lets him keep it, is graced with some of McPhail's (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Mole Music) tenderest art to date. Left behind at a diner, a small boy's beloved bear is accidentally thrown out: "He lay squashed in a dark, smelly place, and even though he had a fine fur coat he was beginning to get a chill." Rescued from the trash by a homeless man, the bear, like the boy, is lonely at first, but eventually both adjust ("The bear still felt loved"). At the park one day the bear is left briefly on a bench, where he is spotted by none other than his original owner. Delighted to be reunited with his old friend, the boy nevertheless notices the homeless man's despair and willingly gives him the bear. While the thought of any child happily relinquishing a favorite toy is a bit of a stretch, as a parable of compassion the story makes its point gently, and McPhail's glowing illustrations persuade the audience of its emotional truth. A master of wordless subtext (the man is shown sleeping under a narrow patch of sky in an open dumpster; on the facing page, the boy, surrounded by other toys, stares at the same sky from his bedroom), he invests his pen-and-watercolor illustrations with affection and warmth, and his expert use of soft shading and cross-hatching creates a welcoming world readers will want to inhabit. Ages 4-8. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-A young boy leaves his beloved teddy bear in a diner. A homeless man finds it in the trash can and takes care of it by tucking it in his coat pocket and sleeping with it in the dumpster. One day, he leaves the teddy bear on a park bench just when the child and his parents happen to be passing by. The youngster is pleased to find his old friend and rescues him, but when the man cries out, "Where is my bear?" the child returns the stuffed animal to him. This act of sharing and compassion will be treasured by young and old. The basic lost-and-found teddy bear story is reminiscent of Don Freeman's Corduroy (Viking, 1968). This book, however, adds another dimension to the theme, and discussion is sure to follow as the artist gives a face and emotion to the homeless population. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations are distinctively McPhail. A sweet and gentle blend of favorite and important topics will make this a treasure of a book to be read, reread, and shared.-Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.