Loved to Bits

Both Teresa Heapy and Katie Cleminson have established themselves as picture book creators. Here they team up and the result is this satisfyingly attractive picture book.  Heapy’s gentle rhyming text has a flowing rhythm that is perfectly matched by Cleminson’s illustrations. The illustrator’s bold ink outlines are ideal for creating the cuddly body of a teddy bear especially when combined with her soft textured palette. They also provide the perfect visual vehicle for the adventures enjoyed by Ted and his friend, adventures that are the product of a vivid imagination – but real no less – hence the accidents that befall Ted. Particularly satisfying is Cleminson’s ability to fill the page; the images are both childlike and child friendly as is the text, a comfortable font size and well placed to integrate with the illustrations, matching the pictorial experience to the narrative. Here is a story of the friendship that can only exist between a child and a toy – an unconditional friendship that has no regard for consequences or appearances and is totally satisfying. This is a book rooted in childhood experience and should be enjoyed by the youngest readers who will see themselves in the pages as well as nostalgic adults sharing it.