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Polar, The Titanic Bear TM The true story of a toy Steiff polar bear and his American Edwardian family, who survived the Titanic disaster on the night of April 14th, 1912. By Daisy Spedden and Edited by Leighton H. Coleman III. The award winning, Polar, The Titanic Bear, is now in its tenth reprint as a paperback, for the very first time, through Scholastic. Now, selling way beyond its initial 75,000 copies, Polar, The Titanic Bear, has past its #59th spot on The 1994 Red & Black's Top 100 Children's Best Seller List, (the hard cover front list category) with four translations in over 10 countries. 500,000+ copies now in print! This true story was originally written in 1913, by Titanic survivor, Daisy Spedden for her 7yr. old son, Douglas, and is told through the perspective of his toy bear. The manuscript, detailing their escape, was found in an about-to-be-discarded steamer trunk by a relative, Mr. Leighton H. Coleman III, and was published for the first time by Little, Brown & Co. in 1994. In 1994, Polar, The Titanic Bear, was unprecedentedly released world wide, to such countries such as the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Canada, and France (in English.) By 1995, Polar's adventures were translated for the Dutch and German markets. 1997, saw Polar, The Titanic Bear in Japanese, where he was also featured at a special teddy-bear exhibit in Kyoto. Fall of '98, Polar's debut in Spanish and in a Scholastic paper back. Back in 1995, F.A.O Schwarz Toy Store created over 50,000, special $25.00 plush toy replica's of Polar, The Titanic Bear, and Steiff issued 1,000, $350.00 collectible reproductions of the original 1909 model, to the delight of children and teddy bear fanciers every where. Two new Steiff plush collectibles of Polar came available for the '98 Holiday season, comprising of a $300.00 limited edition and a $150.00 miniature, which were sold out by January. The book, Polar, The Titanic Bear won the 1995 Canadian Silver Birch Award, better known as "The Children's Choice Award" as well as being nominated for Canada's 1995 Governor General's Award. In America, Polar, The Titanic Bear also won The 1995 Society Of School Librarian's Award for International Best Book For Social Studies K-6, as well as being nominated for The 1995 Georgia Book Award K-4. and the 1996-97 South Carolina Association Of School Librarian's "Children's Book Award." In 1998 The Queeensland branch of The Children's Book Council of Australia awarded Polar the Titanic Bear The 1998 BILBY Award (Books I love Best Yearly), Younger Reader category. Polar, The Titanic Bear will be next beloved international children's character.
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What They Are Saying... "A
more riveting history lesson will be hard to find"
"Text, photographs, and watercolors combine to render the book an appealing
mosaic of children's story, travelogue and historical document." "Snapshots
from the Spedden's photo album and other memorabilia provide intriguing
glimpses of long-gone lifestyle.... McGaw's romantic paintings are equally
effective in their portrayal of the drama at sea and the love between
a boy and his bear."
".....Pertinent and detailed."
"Cleverly mixes memoir, history, sociology, and geography to produce
an unusual and attractive picture book." "In
a most tender way, Mrs Spedden had recorded the family's adventure on
the Titanic ... as seen through the eyes of Douglas's stuffed bear,
Polar." "Polar
is a remarkably charming addition to what is already known" "It
is a very personal warm and fuzzy little story" "This
unusual little book should be of special interest.... Daisy, has brought
a bitter sweet story into leading ranks of children's literature." "There
is much history housed within this simple story" "Children
seem enamored by the story, as evident from the oohs and aahs..." "Polar,
The Titanic Bear, has sold 250,000 copies, ensuring that the story of
little Douglas Spedden-like the tale of Titanic itself-will live on."
Recipient of Canada's 1995 Children's Choice - Silver Birch Award & The 1995 Society of School Librarians' Award for International Best Book for k-6 also 1996
nominee for South Carolina Association Of School Librarian's & 1995 Georgia Book Award Nominee
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