Famous Teddy Bears

Teddy bears, teddy bears everywhere. Teddy bears are the most well-liked of all toys. Cute, soft and cuddly, they have a way of comforting us when we are lonely, ill or afraid. Teddy bears pay attention to our opinions without argument, hear our problems without attempting to solve them, and understand when we need a hug.

Winnie the Pooh is right up there when we think of famous teddy bears. He was created by A.A. Milne with much inspiration from his wife Daphne, and his young son, Christopher Robin. The idea of Pooh began with a trip to the zoo where, Christopher Robin Milne, fell in love with a small, black bear. This prompted Milne to write about the adventures of Christopher Robin, his teddy bear pooh, and their friends. Today you will find Pooh everywhere. There are Winnie the Pooh clothes, bedding, animated cartoons, web sites and, of course, the Pooh teddy bear himself.

Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He first appeared in 1958 and was subsequently featured in some 14 books written by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum and has evolved into a franchise. The illustrations show him more as a teddy bear than a real bear, in the original style of Winnie-the-Pooh.

In 1967 Bond's books became so successful that he was able to quit his job to become a full-time writer. Paddington is the sort of bear with his paws settled firmly on the ground. He has a great sense of right and wrong and tends to get involved in everyday situations, no wild adventures for this bear. He gets involved with human situations, but he could never be human, it simply wouldn't work. Paddington bear has also been depicted as an animated cartoon and has had his countenance made into a huggable teddy bear, but don't hug him too tight, it just wouldn't be right.
 

Rupert the bear was first introduced as a comic strip in 'The Daily Express', a British newspaper. Rupert was introduced by artist Mary Toutel on November 8, 1920, and he still appears in the same paper today. Mary was forced to stop drawing the cartoon in 1935, because of her failing eyesight.

Alfred Bestall took over the job and continued drawing and writing about the adventures of Rupert for 35 years, until his retirement in 1965. Since then, various artists have taken over the task. Christmas, 1936 it was decided that the previous cartoon strips be put together in an Annual, and the tradition began. Rupert is popular with children and has become a star, in his own right, through animation. He is a popular animated cartoon.

Misha, another bear, was the official mascot of the 1980 Olympic Games. Misha is a male diminutive for the Russian male name Mikhail. Misha, Mishka, Mikhail, Mikhail Potapych and Toptigyn are traditional Russian nicknames for a bear and the bear historically symbolizes Russia. A group of artists, recommended by the Artists' Union of the USSR, worked out 60 graphic versions. The bear - called Misha - submitted by artist V. Chizhikov from Moscow, was selected as the mascot.

Goldilocks and The Three Bears- also called "The Three Bears" is a notable children's bedtime story. Though it is often considered an anonymous folk story, even one of those collected by the Brothers Grimm, it actually first saw print in 1837 in the poet Robert Southey's book The Doctor. George Nicol retold Southey's story in verse.

What is believed to be the earliest recorded version of the tale was found quite recently in 1951 in a collection of early children's books in the Toronto Public Library. The story was published in a homemade book titled, The Story of The Three Bears metrically related, with illustrations locating it at Cecil Lodge in September 1831. Apparently an aunt, Eleanor Mure, had written the story in verse and illustrated it for her nephew from the story she already knew through oral tradition. Mure's version of the tale featured an old woman who intrudes into the bears' home, sampling their food and other amenities.