Review - Loved to Bits

Loved to Bits
by Teresa Heapy
illustrated by Katie Cleminson
Date: 2018
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

A wonderfully exuberant teddy bear and his little boy go on all sorts of grand adventures collecting stories (and a few scrapes and bruises) along the way in Loved to Bits, a picture book about friendship from Teresa Heapy and Katie Cleminson.

Ted and his boy do everything together.
They fight beasts and have feasts.
They tickle monsters then flee on rafts,
They search, explore, escape.... and laugh.

But sometimes things get rough, and Teddy loses an ear.
He's still got his best one though, never fear!
And an eye? PING!
It's nothing—he didn't feel a thing!
A leg, then the other. An arm, and then the next.
What do you do with a broken Ted?

You lay down with him at night and snuggle in bed.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Oh, dear! I don't know whether to laugh or be horrified.

Loved to Bits is the story of Ted, a teddy bear who goes on so many adventures that he eventually loses all his limbs, one eye, one ear, and has all his stripes rubbed off. But, not to worry! His boy likes him better that way, just a worn-out ball and head filled with stuffing.

I guess it's an ode to the way some children love their toys until they're no longer recognizable. It's oddly macabre in spots, but also somewhat funny.

I think this book is going to have a very specific audience. I like it, and I'm sure some parents will get a chuckle. But for kids who can't bear the thought of something happening to a beloved toy, it might not be the best choice.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4.14 out of 5

Review - Very Little Cinderella

Very Little Cinderella (The Very Little Series)
by Teresa Heapy
illustrated by Sue Heap
Date: 2014
Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Company
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Very Little Cinderella is adorably re-cast as a "very" little precocious toddler in this modern, sweet retelling of the classic tale. Look for all three books in this must-have, read-aloud series: "Very Little Red Riding Hood, ""Very Little Cinderella, " and "Very Little Sleeping Beauty."

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Wow. That was obnoxious.

Despite what the synopsis says, the toddler Cinderella is not precocious. She speaks in broken English and whines for her "lello" boot. (The Very Little Prince looks to be about her age, and he speaks properly... which just makes Cinderella look like she needs some sort of speech therapy).

This is basically a story about a really bad babysitter catering to a spoiled child. Cinderella wants to go to the party, so her Fairy Godmother takes her. She takes a toddler to an adult party and they stay until midnight. (Aren't there advice columns asking about this very thing? "What do I do when my entitled friends bring their screaming brats to my adult cocktail party?") Of course, Cinderella loses her "lello" boot, but I really don't care about her subsequent sulking because she shouldn't even have been at that party in the first place. (Eventually the Very Little Prince and his Mommy show up with the lost boot and the kids have a playdate. Whoop-dee-doo.)

Kids might like this one, but I don't think I'd want to have to read it to my kids. I don't like how all the adults cater to the child's every whim, keeping her up way past her bedtime and trying to bribe her out of her bad mood after she loses her boot. (Guess what? She wouldn't have lost it in the first place if there had been some responsible adults around!) I also don't like how the kid talks: "Cleaning all done. Now I have cookie." ... "It not fair!" she wailed. "I not stay here!" And don't even get me started on the "lello" boots...

The illustrations are just okay. I did like the map on the endpapers, but that was about it.

If you think about it, many of these fairytales aren't really suitable for toddlers, anyway. They need to be redone really well to make them appropriate. "Cinderella" is about domestic abuse, balls, staying up late, and finding a heterosexual mate... so I don't think it's exactly picture-book material to begin with. (For a much better retelling of this story for kids, have a look at Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood. It'll be a little beyond the appeal of most toddlers, but at least it's a more empowering retelling.)

Premise: 1/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 1/5
Illustrations: 2/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 1/5

Overall: 1.33 out of 5