Teddy: The Remarkable Tale of a President, a Cartoonist, a Toymaker and a Bear

The story goes that on a hunting trip in 1902, President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear. "Me? Shoot that little fella?" he said. "Why, if I so much as ruffled his fur, I'd never be able to look my children in the eyes again!" When a political cartoonist shared the story in the newspaper, New York shopkeepers Rosie and Morris Michtom were impressed by the president's big, warm heart. So they decided to create a "Teddy" bear in his honor to sell in their store. The bear was so popular, they made another one. And another. Before they knew it, they had to build a factory to accommodate the demand: it seemed every child wanted a teddy bear of their own!

James Sage uses a playful blend of fact and fiction to tell this entertaining tale.