Ian 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.
There is just something special about this Teddy bear! He warms my heart.
A fall from the stroller turns Teddy’s day out in the park into a blustery, wet adventure. Can he find his way back home?
Mr. Beck has a wonderful way of capturing Teddy’s determination and courage with bright colors, different points of view, and expressions on that adorable furry face. He looked so lost and sad at some points, but he padded on and on over the hills and through the rain.
Every soggy step and tumble will have you rooting for this strong willed Teddy to find his way.
An adorable book that made me want to hug & squeeze my Teddy.
"'I've got to get home before dark,' said Teddy, 'That's when Lily needs me the most.'"
Very sweet sentiment, detailed and charming illustrations reminiscent of a previous generation of story books, and w0rked well being read around to a range of children where I heard it on a giant bed at the Oxford Story Museum. Lily is a small girl in a pushchair who doesn't want to go to bed, so she cajoles her mum into taking her for a walk to feed the ducks, dropping her teddy in the park. I enjoyed the premise that small and cuddly Teddy had to make his way back to Lily's house all by himself on his stubby fabric legs over hills and past the bins. It was a nice story, but the characters were less than individualistic (am I the only one who always gave their cuddly toys a proper name, as in, not just "Teddy" or "Kitty"?), and I feel that this story was not quite on a par for originality and surprise with others that I have read this year like "Clumsy Duck" and all time classic "The Elephant and the Bab Baby". Still, a very relatable story for a live story reading that will appear to boys and girls with a broad range of ages and personalities.
This is such a sweet book, especially to read to a child before bed time or young children during a carpet session. Its a picture book about a little girl who goes to the park with her mum and her teddy. Without realising, she drops her teddy. so the teddy then travels through the rain and wind and big people just to get home before dark as the girl cannot sleep without her teddy. Great use of images in this book. Also allows children to relate to the story, perhaps they too have once misplaced their favourite teddy or toy. Appropriate age range- 3-7
"Home Before Dark" is a book about little Lily and her lovey. Only the book is told from the perspective of that lovey, a teddy bear (Teddy.)
For instance, "Bravely, Teddy went on."
It's an original concept, counter to reality. Yet this is excellent if young readers would find it liberating to worry about the worries of their lovey. Each to his own or her own!
Granted, certain readers, especially adults, might find Teddy's victimey struggles to be a bit much.
Either way, thank goodness, the ending is happy. (Although no spoiler from me, no no!)
Home Before Dark is an adorable story about Lily, a little girl who visits the park and unknowingly leaves her beloved teddy bear behind. The story follows this determined little Teddy as he battles his way through the elements, the park and the busy streets to return home to Lily before her bedtime proving himself to be a “brave little Teddy”.
I really like this book and I think it’s a great read for young children as I’m sure many can relate to having something very precious that they would not want to lose. The illustrations are very unique as they are sketched and almost patterned, with autumnal colours running throughout the book with red, browns and blues predominant. This creates a warm and cosy feel which links to Teddy himself. I like how the book addresses the reader which makes it personal, giving the impression that we are sharing a secret with Teddy, particularly at the end of the story as we know all that he has been through whilst Lily is none the wiser.
This book is perfect for class story time for Nursery, EYFS and lower KS1 children. It could be used to begin a PSHE lesson about things that are precious to us and how we would feel if we were to lose it. As an extension it could lead to thinking about how Lily would feel if Teddy didn’t return. Furthermore, it would also create a good discussion about determination, and how it’s good to be brave and to always try our hardest. With the different illustrations of Teddy in the book and his different facial expressions, this could lead onto a lesson about emotions as children could try to guess and anticipate what he is feeling through different moments in the book. I feel that a literacy lesson sequencing the events in the story would also work very well with this book.