From day one… [page turn]
things have gone downhill.
I’ve been a pillow…[page turn]
a hankie…
and lunch for a prehistoric beast.
Poor Louis. Can’t a bear get a little respect around here? I’m tempted to show you the three spreads associated with the above text, but I don’t want to spoil your fun. I will, however, show you one close-up where he’s even “hung out to dry.”
That face could sink a thousand ships!
Louis has no choice but to plot his escape. And it looks like nothing will change his mind….until.
This spare, but funny, text by Tom Lichtenheld is wonderfully illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch, providing much of the emotion and the dark night of the soul, literally, before a sweet and satisfying resolution. It’s truly a 50-50 split of storytelling between the words and pictures. Guaranteed to be read over and over and over, like all those picture books that are truly beloved.
Activities:
Make an origami bear
Make sprinkle cupcakes and have a cupcake party with your teddy bear
Write your teddy bears a note telling them how much you love them and why you appreciate them (and maybe apologize for anything bad you’ve ever done to them) so they don’t try to run away in the middle of the night.
Title: Louis
Author: Tom Lichtenheld
Illustrator: Julie Rowan-Zoch
Publisher: HMH 2020
Ages: Pre-K – 2nd grade
Themes: teddy bears, love, taking the good with the bad
For more perfect picture book recommendations, please visit Susanna Hill’s website.
Jilanne Hoffmann 
Thanks for the reminder about this book. It’s on my too read list. I watched a video with Tom and Louis going to a bookstore to see the book. It was really cute.
It is really sweet, and Louis is sooo expressive!
Love love love this book!!
Me, too!
Love this book! Especially the art! 😊
Yes, indeedy! Julie created such a fun character in Louis. I’d love to see more of him in the future…
When my library reopened for hold pickups, I immediately placed this long-awaited book on hold and checked it out the day the confirmation arrived. I plan on reading it this weekend. I’m a huge teddy bear fan.
I think you’ll get a kick out of Louis!
Thank you, Jilanne! Sooo honored that you picked Louis for PPBF!!!
His facial expressions and feelings expressed through is body language add so much to the story. I see Louis getting LOTS of hugs in his future!
Sent a copies of Louis to a great grand children for Christmas via Amazon — so am first in line at the library to read Louis. It sounds like such a sweet story!
You’ll really enjoy it, Patricia! Happy Holidays!
So adorable and what a perfect teaming of author and illustrator! I’ll have to look for this one.
You definitely won’t be disappointed!
Haha, my Edward used to look just like that when my mum pinned him up by his ears! Mind you, he wasn’t happier on rainy days, when she’d hang him by his neck between two slats of the pulley*…
(Hmm… is pulley a Scottish colloquialism, I suddenly wonder? A kind of drying rack that hangs from the ceiling…)
Ha! We had pulleys outside that ran from the corner of the house to a pole in the yard, for hanging laundry. Some hotels have a line that you can pull and attach over top the bathtub for hanging laundry. Not sure what those cars called. It’s been so long since I’ve been in a hotel room..
The face has sold the book to me, that is possibly the best thing to come out of 2020. Amelia loves to cuddle her teddies but doesn’t much like her parents’ attentions. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Ah, children. She’s already a teenager. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, too!