The Worst Teddy Ever

PreS-Gr 2–Noa loves Teddy, but gets pretty annoyed that Teddy is always tired. 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.