The Idle Bear

Most readers have heard of talking bears, but perhaps not of thinking bears. Ted and Teddy have grown old and wise, but one has lost his growl and the other, his pawthey ""wore out.'' Together they come to the conclusion that they could be related, since ``all bears like us are called Teddy.'' They try to place themselves and understand from whence they come. ``From an idea,'' says Ted. And in an attempt to be more realistic, location references like ``up the street'' and ``next door'' are resorted to. Then Ted, the Worldly Bear, stands on his head and spouts a very small growl. And Teddy discovers that he's full of straw and tries to explain that an Idle Bear is one whose ``owner is an Idle.'' Hans Christian Andersen Medalist Ingpen shows bears that are toylike and very real, carved from a brown paperbag background with simple strokes and soft washes of color. And because they look genuine, their appeals for identity are intensely poignanta point that could not be made with less realistic figures. Such wide-eyed bears, in dire need of family, should find a home in any reader's heart. All ages. (October)