"Reminiscent of Watership Down ...reflective children will revel in this thought-provoking world." Kirkus , Starred Review "By turns swashbuckling and reflective, touching and disturbing, this existential work of fantasy and horror considers what one is willing to sacrifice when utterly lost." Publishers Weekly "With a nod to Watership Down ...[r]eaders with a taste for disturbing adventures and disquieting revelations will be well served." Booklist "Fans of Toy Story or The Velveteen Rabbit might be aghast, but readers who knew there was always something a little off about their playthings will appreciate this uniquely horrific take." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Sensitive readers beware: Tea parties and snuggles are juxtaposed with trash heaps where one could lose a stuffie at a moment's notice. The wording is playful and descriptive, and Sugar's commentary injects humor…[Readers] looking for a dark and suspenseful tale will find this one truly captivating. Rovina Cai's illustrations are at once beautiful and haunting, drawn with energetic lines. The art appears in the story at precisely the right moments, giving wandering eyes glimpses of what is just around the corner.
The New York Times Book Review - Lauren Castillo
07/20/2020
The life of a Furrington Teddy ought to be simple: wait patiently in one’s box until purchased and presented to a child, resulting, upon the “child’s first loving hug” in the fabled Forever Sleep. When blue teddy Buddy awakens frightened and disoriented in a landfill, he and a band of four other discarded Furringtons of varying colors and dispositions slip into an adventure that pits them against gulls, vermin, and dismal creatures bred by negligence. The Furringtons trudge through the muck and fog of urban environs beyond the garbage heap in search of a child to hug and the truth behind why they were cast aside. Employing a spare, somber tone threaded with moments startling and poignant, Kraus (Bent Heavens ) keeps the tale moving at a brisk pace amid its heavy themes. Wispy black-and-white illustrations by Cai (Elatsoe ) add to the sense of creeping fear and grim uncertainty. By turns swashbuckling and reflective, touching and disturbing, this existential work of fantasy and horror considers what one is willing to sacrifice when utterly lost. Ages 10–14. Agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts. (Sept.)
09/01/2020
Gr 4–6— Buddy is a teddy bear, and he wakes up to find himself far from his cozy box in the toy store. He's in the middle of a garbage dump, and he has no idea how or why he's there. He quickly finds and aligns himself with a few other teddies, and the more they learn and explore, the more sinister things become. The garbage dump is crawling with things that want to eat and/or destroy the teddies, but the world outside the dump isn't much better. In order to find what they're convinced will save them—children—they're going to have to venture beyond the dump and brave the city streets. This unique book begins in a seemingly innocent way, but there are many underlying, more ominous plot lines in the works. It's definitely creepy, has moments of violence, and could easily scare sensitive readers. Those seeking a dark story, however, will find just that. The illustrations are appropriately dark and add to the creep factor. The writing leaves a bit to be desired and contains a number of subject/verb disagreements. There is also an unnecessary and blatant nod to a big fast food chain. VERDICT An additional purchase for larger collections or where middle grade horror is very popular.—Jessica Trafton, Skidompha Lib., Damariscotta, ME
Narrator Kirby Heyborne offers gentle portrayals of five teddies who find themselves abandoned in a garbage dump. Blue teddy Buddy’s courageous tenacity makes him well suited to be the leader of the group, and he takes it upon himself to guide the others out of the trash and back home to the toy store. Heyborne creates distinct characters ranging from Sugar, who has a childlike persona, to Horace, who must cope with terrified anxiety. Heyborne’s deliberate pace immerses listeners; his impressive performance makes up for the absence of the beautiful illustrations featured in the print version of the book. Heyborne’s somber execution underlines the seemingly insurmountable challenges faced by the teddies, whose biggest dream is to someday belong to a child. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Narrator Kirby Heyborne offers gentle portrayals of five teddies who find themselves abandoned in a garbage dump. Blue teddy Buddy’s courageous tenacity makes him well suited to be the leader of the group, and he takes it upon himself to guide the others out of the trash and back home to the toy store. Heyborne creates distinct characters ranging from Sugar, who has a childlike persona, to Horace, who must cope with terrified anxiety. Heyborne’s deliberate pace immerses listeners; his impressive performance makes up for the absence of the beautiful illustrations featured in the print version of the book. Heyborne’s somber execution underlines the seemingly insurmountable challenges faced by the teddies, whose biggest dream is to someday belong to a child. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
★ 2020-06-30 The journey to find a child becomes an existential quest for an abandoned teddy bear.
Buddy is not just any stuffed bear, but a blue Furrington Teddy with a Real Silk Heart. So why did he wake up in a landfill with other Furringtons of varying hues? A more pressing matter, however, is escaping Trashland and its murderous gulls and bulldozers. Yearning to connect with a child and achieve a state of peaceful Forever Sleep, Buddy and his new friends of differing temperaments and gifts set out on a harrowing journey through the city to find children who will want them. As they encounter other Furringtons in disarray, this opener in The Teddies Saga series becomes a mystery about why these teddies are being harmed in the first place. While the visceral narrative follows the teddy troupe’s adventurous challenges and survival, its focus is on Buddy’s inner struggles as he ponders identity, leadership, and other existential dilemmas. Kraus doesn’t shy away from anger, fear, death, and other dark subjects; instead they become opportunities for growth in difficult environments. Cai’s intense, slightly nightmarish grayscale illustrations add immeasurably to the text. Reminiscent of Watership Down in theme and structure, the novel’s intermittent teddy creation stories also become parables of a moral code and extend the epic story arc. A cliffhanger ending sets the scene for the next installment.
Reflective children will revel in this thought-provoking world. (Fantasy. 9-12)