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The Teddy Robber
Someone is stealing teddies, but who could it be? When Tom's own teddy is snatched in the dead of night, he is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
11 people want to read
About the author
Ian Beck
179 books84 followersIan Archibald Beck (born 1947 in Brighton) is an English children's illustrator and author. In addition to his numerous children's books, he is also most famous for his cover illustration on Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album. He has sold more than a million copies of his books worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 26, 2014
I thought this book was utter crap. There were so many flaws in the plot (yeah, yeah, I know it was shortlisted for the Best Books for Babies Award) that I found it a really irritating read. Big pile of steaming poo.
December 19, 2020
Lovely story where our hero ends up helping the baddie.
April 19, 2024
This is a Really good story used within an emotional literacy programme for infant children. Children enjoyed the story and understood the lesson behind the story!
March 9, 2025
Super boring book, ugly pictures, strange story line and two completely unlikeable characters. 0/10
June 1, 2025
A simple yet heartfelt story perfect for bedtime. Great illustrations too.
February 8, 2015
Personal Reaction - I like this book very much because the story is engaging and the illustrations really enhance the story. Examples include Tom's attempt to keep up with the giant and the cupboard full of teddies. Children love this book!
Purposes:
Read aloud to K-1 children for several potential purposes:
enrichment/enjoyment due to the story itself. Tom is brave and takes initiative to find his Teddy, then to find the giant' Teddy and return all the other teddies. There is also much to talk about in the illustrations (e.g. how the illustrator gave you the feeling that Tom worked hard to keep up with the giant, perspective of how tiny Tom was in comparison, the emotions of the giant in the photos and giant's words)
Curriculum: read aloud
- discussion of fantasy vs reality
- narrative structure (clear goals and attmepts to reach goals of Tom and giant) - Great potential for practicing retelling. (lots of dialogue will help support retelling efforts, too).
-introduction or reinforcement of character (both Tom and the giant are round characters - the giant is not a stereotypical "giant" rather has a personality due to actions and words.
Purposes:
Read aloud to K-1 children for several potential purposes:
enrichment/enjoyment due to the story itself. Tom is brave and takes initiative to find his Teddy, then to find the giant' Teddy and return all the other teddies. There is also much to talk about in the illustrations (e.g. how the illustrator gave you the feeling that Tom worked hard to keep up with the giant, perspective of how tiny Tom was in comparison, the emotions of the giant in the photos and giant's words)
Curriculum: read aloud
- discussion of fantasy vs reality
- narrative structure (clear goals and attmepts to reach goals of Tom and giant) - Great potential for practicing retelling. (lots of dialogue will help support retelling efforts, too).
-introduction or reinforcement of character (both Tom and the giant are round characters - the giant is not a stereotypical "giant" rather has a personality due to actions and words.
February 9, 2015
Personal Reaction - I like this book very much because the story is engaging and the illustrations really enhance the story. Examples include Tom's attempt to keep up with the giant and the cupboard full of teddies. Children love this book!
Purposes:
Read aloud to K-1 children for several potential purposes:
enrichment/enjoyment due to the story itself. Tom is brave and takes initiative to find his Teddy, then to find the giant' Teddy and return all the other teddies. There is also much to talk about in the illustrations (e.g. how the illustrator gave you the feeling that Tom worked hard to keep up with the giant, perspective of how tiny Tom was in comparison, the emotions of the giant in the photos and giant's words)
Curriculum: read aloud
- discussion of fantasy vs reality
- narrative structure (clear goals and attmepts to reach goals of Tom and giant) - Great potential for practicing retelling. (lots of dialogue will help support retelling efforts, too).
-introduction or reinforcement of character (both Tom and the giant are round characters - the giant is not a stereotypical "giant" rather has a personality due to actions and words.
Purposes:
Read aloud to K-1 children for several potential purposes:
enrichment/enjoyment due to the story itself. Tom is brave and takes initiative to find his Teddy, then to find the giant' Teddy and return all the other teddies. There is also much to talk about in the illustrations (e.g. how the illustrator gave you the feeling that Tom worked hard to keep up with the giant, perspective of how tiny Tom was in comparison, the emotions of the giant in the photos and giant's words)
Curriculum: read aloud
- discussion of fantasy vs reality
- narrative structure (clear goals and attmepts to reach goals of Tom and giant) - Great potential for practicing retelling. (lots of dialogue will help support retelling efforts, too).
-introduction or reinforcement of character (both Tom and the giant are round characters - the giant is not a stereotypical "giant" rather has a personality due to actions and words.
September 5, 2013
Reminiscent of Jack and the Beanstalk and Roald Dahl’s BFG, this is the story of a giant who steals teddies from sleeping children at night. When a little boy called Tom catches him in the act, he bravely determines to follow the giant's trail and rescue his much-loved bear from his clutches. In the giant’s castle, Tom finds a cupboard full of all the lost teddies in the world. The twist in the tale is that the giant is searching for his own long-lost teddy bear.
With glorious illustrations and a familiar plot, this lovely book is a perfect introduction to tales of daring-do, bound to inspire a love of reading and adventures in 3-5 year olds, with a happy ending all round and a reminder to expect the unexpected! This book has remained a favourite on my children’s bookshelf for many years and its appeal is just as fresh as when first read, ideal for reading aloud, as a basis for creative writing and role playing, or a discussion starter in PSHE.
With glorious illustrations and a familiar plot, this lovely book is a perfect introduction to tales of daring-do, bound to inspire a love of reading and adventures in 3-5 year olds, with a happy ending all round and a reminder to expect the unexpected! This book has remained a favourite on my children’s bookshelf for many years and its appeal is just as fresh as when first read, ideal for reading aloud, as a basis for creative writing and role playing, or a discussion starter in PSHE.
February 26, 2015
Personal Reaction:
-While I was listening to "The Teddy Robber" being read in class, it did hold my attention. As a college-level student, I would think it is safe to say that this book would keep a young child's attention as well. The illustrations and theme of the overall book were great.
Purpose:
-I think that this story could be read aloud to students between the grades of first and third. It teaches young children the importance of teamwork, when the young boy and the giant team up together to look for his teddy. It shows that teamwork can result in positive outcomes a majority of the time.
-This book could be read aloud during a lesson on teamwork and maybe even each student could bring in their own teddy or their favorite one. They could write a story about their own personal teddy bear and share it with the class.
Other:
-This book is an overall great story to read to students.
-While I was listening to "The Teddy Robber" being read in class, it did hold my attention. As a college-level student, I would think it is safe to say that this book would keep a young child's attention as well. The illustrations and theme of the overall book were great.
Purpose:
-I think that this story could be read aloud to students between the grades of first and third. It teaches young children the importance of teamwork, when the young boy and the giant team up together to look for his teddy. It shows that teamwork can result in positive outcomes a majority of the time.
-This book could be read aloud during a lesson on teamwork and maybe even each student could bring in their own teddy or their favorite one. They could write a story about their own personal teddy bear and share it with the class.
Other:
-This book is an overall great story to read to students.
February 10, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. I think that it has lots of engaging aspects to it. I also enjoyed the illustrations and the perspective of the little boy being so small and the giant being so big. That is really captured in the illustrations. I would read this book to kindergarten and first grade. I think that they would have lots of reactions from the book and that it would be a good book to talk about story line and make predictions. The purpose of this book would be educational. It has a good theme of working together. It also would be an easy book to introduce retelling strategies.
February 24, 2015
The Teddy Robber is a good independent read. It has a plot and is relatable for young children who also have items that are special to them. I thought this book was interesting because the giant seems like a bad guy at first but then it turns out that he has similar feelings to the little boy about special stuffed animals. This is a good book for kindergarten-1st grade.
February 18, 2015
The Teddy Robber was a very cute book. There is a little boy who's teddy gets stolen and he is upset, but the robber is just looking for his own teddy. The boy helps the robber find his teddy and he is happy. This book would be good to read to first or second graders because it is bout sharing and friendship.
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August 18, 2015Good illustrations, engaging text/storyline...We moved across the story and the landscape with Tom. would recommend this book to be read along with/ or when they are reading Jack and the Beanstalk. This one has its heart in the right place
January 9, 2014
I am a big fan of Ian's and really enjoyed reading this to my son. A clever writer and illustrator in full command of his abilities.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews