Recitations

A book about Eddie

There is a book called Where’s My Teddy?

It is a simple and silly story about a little boy named Eddie who has lost his teddy. He wanders into some woods to find his bear and ends up coming face to face with a gigantic bear who, ironically, has also lost his teddy. “Eddie’s teddy’s name is Freddy”; the gigantic bear’s name is Ted. The rhyme scheme is a little odd, but it seems to work. By which I mean that Tahlia, for two weeks, asked me to read it every night.

The story goes:

“Eddie’s off to find his teddy. Eddie’s teddy’s name is Freddy. He lost him in the woods somewhere, it’s dark and horrible in there.”

I don’t really like the book, but what I do like is reading it with Tahlia.

What happens is that I open the book and begin reading the first line, “Eddie’s off to find his teddy.” Before I’m done with the first line, Tahlia is reciting the story. Page after page, line after line, she continues to recite the book.

I’m, of course, proud of my little girl, but, maybe even more importantly, I’m amazed by her.

Where's My Teddy? by Jez Alborough