Teddy One-eye has a rough and tumble life. He is dragged around, chewed on, loses an eye and is often left outside at night. But his many patches show how much he is loved. Teddy One-Eye’s special powers lead him to some curious situations and exciting adventures . . .
I’m liking
Gavin Bishop is one of my favourite New Zealand writers and illustrators. I’m particularly in awe of his illustrations so was surprised to find that this book was mostly text. There are a few lovely images but the focus of this book is the story of Teddy One-Eye.
Teddy has a slightly mysterious past and this is woven into the story. I was particularly pleasantly surprised to discover that what I thought was going to be a pretty predictable story wasn’t at all. The twist at the end of the book is moving and, at times, brought tears to my eyes.
This book has worked particularly well with my five year old who has enjoyed reading about children around her age and has also been intrigued by the way the story traverses through New Zealand history.
Things that made me go hmmmm
The conclusion
Bishop is such a talented writer as well as illustrator and when I look at his list of books, many of them are amongst my (and my children’s!) favourites. Teddy One-Eye has certainly become one of our new favourites and I look forward to reading more long stories from Bishop.
