Pocket Bear

Made for soldiers going off to WWI these bears were made to fit in a soldier’s pocket with the eyes up higher so as to always be looking at the soldier, that way the soldier could glance down and see the little bear looking back up at him. Now many years after the war and pocket bear lives and oversees a place where older toys come and get refurbished so another child might play with it mostly stuffies.  Pocket bear and his best friend the thief cat who is the narrator of this story, and who better to narrate than a cat?  Ukrainian mother and daughter (Victoria and Dasha) rehabilitate the toys to send back out to needy children.  A low life lady comes in and wants to buy pocket bear who is worth a lot of money, and brings the mother and daughter to make hard choices.   

I loved the characters especially Zephyrina, but the history and the current events are both told with age appropriateness.  The big lesson I think is will you do what is easy or what is right for you and others? There is a lot going on but it is told in a way that you don’t get lost.  The story line is wonderful and I believe a pocket bear would still make any soldier or sailor happy to see.