Theodore Menten

Patterns and very detailed instructions for making your own teddy bear with joints. It even tells you how to alter the ears to make other things like rabbits. This is more complicated than I was expecting, especially the joints, which involve nuts and bolts, so I recommend this only for the serious stuffed animal maker.

After owning this book for nearly 30 years, I finally decided to use the patterns. The process is not difficult, just time consuming. However, I figured the time was worthwhile, as opposed to investing in bunches of individual stencils from the art stores. In three days I cut out eight stencils and gave them a try. I'm pleased with the results, though, once again, the preparation process is rather tedious. Of course, it means that I have destroyed the book.

When your loved one is dying, how do you say goodbye? This gentle book is about people who have said goodbye and how they did it. You will see how others have pushed aside their despair to rejoice in their shared memories and face death with warmth, frankness, and even humor.

This is so much fun. It's like looking through a family album. Every photograph brings out an "Ahhh" and then you just can't give away any of your bears, (should you be wicked enough to be thinking of such a thing.) Probably you'll gather up all your bears, change their clothes, dress them up, and take their pictures. It's a real heartwarmer.