Review by Booklist Review
In this ode to the imagination, Ted, a little bear, bumps his knee, decides he needs a doctor, and then decides to become one himself when he finds there isn't one in the house. After waiting too long in his own waiting room for patients, he locates a bunch of them at school. Lemaitre's illustrations, which put poignant facial expressions onto otherwise fairly cartoonish creatures, provide a good visual counterpoint to Beaty's sweet, matter-of-fact sense of humor. Ted is certainly taken aback when the school principal, a boar in a purple jacket, sends him home after Ted diagnoses him with bad breath, a fever, and foot odor. (Ted's mother and teacher don't like their diagnoses either.) The predictable turnaround, during which Doctor Ted saves the day, is amusingly delivered; on the last page Ted wakes up, smells burned toast, and decides . . . well, kids will have fun guessing what Ted will do next.--Nolan, Abby Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Doctor Ted is guilty of major medical malpractice. He diagnoses his mother with measles ("Those are my freckles," she insists, unamused) and recommends an operation. He detects gingivitis in his principal and prescribes a full-body cast (he later follows up with an offer to "do something about that foot odor"). It's unlikely, however, that readers will want to revoke Doctor Ted's license--he is, after all, an earnest bear cub, and his unwavering self-assurance in the face of adult certitude is too much fun. Beaty (When Giants Come to Play) and Lemaitre (Who's Got Game: Three Fables), working in much the same vein as Alexander Stadler (the Beverly Billingsly books), concoct a breezy story about pretend play that's laugh-out-loud funny. The prose is snappy but sympathetic to the outsize ambitions of its hero, while the pictures' chunky ink lines and almost neonlike digital colors give every page plenty of punch. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-When Ted bumps his knee and there's no doctor around to help, the young bear takes up the medical profession himself. He prescribes crutches for mumps ("`Those are my cheeks,' said Mrs. Johnson") and a full-body cast for his grumpy principal's gingivitis. Finally, a minor playground injury allows Ted to shine, and emergency personnel (including librarians balancing books on their heads) give praise. However, the next day, the smell of burnt toast means he's ready for a new career. Beaty's simple sentences and light humor work well, but terms like "house call" and "measles" are likely to be foreign to today's youngsters. Lemaitre's bright backgrounds and varied compositions, from vignette clusters to close-ups, keep interest. The roly-poly bear and his varied animal classmates are simply drawn and outlined in black, giving solidity to the pleasingly minimalist scenes. Pair this with your favorite version of The Lady with the Alligator Purse when celebrating community helpers. Clean and sweet, it's hard to resist a book that prescribes, "Take two cookies. You'll feel better in the morning."-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) Practicing medicine without a license is only advisable for those under, say, age ten, and even then it carries risks. For instance, one's mother might not appreciate being told her freckles are measles that require surgery, and she might respond to the diagnosis not with gratitude but with a grumpy "eat your breakfast." Young Doctor Ted, a round-headed bear with a can-do attitude, meets such resistance when he leaves his bedroom office, having forsaken jammies for a lab coat and stethoscope, and ventures downstairs. Later in the day, his drippy-nosed elementary school classmates, depicted in Lemaitre's cheery, Easter-egg-colored ink-and-digital art as a variety of cartoon animals, renew his excitement. "Doctor Ted smiled. Patients, he thought." The naysaying grownups, including his principal, who forbids him to dispense medical advice in the lunchroom, are the perfect comic foils for his doggedness. Beaty's lighthearted story shows that creative play can be stifled but not defeated, as exemplified by the doctor outfit Ted wears to school beneath his regular clothes, like a superhero uniform, despite the reprimands. If only more physicians would adopt his prescription philosophy. "Take two cookies," he tells his teacher when she sprains her ankle. Chocolate chips beat ibuprofen any day. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Ted is one prepared bear. After bumping his knee one morning he wants a doctor, but with none in sight, he becomes one himself. Though he satisfactorily treats his booboo, his Doctor Ted persona is none too popular with the people around him. His offers to cure the principal's bad breath and his teacher's mumps (actually just chubby cheeks) are met with annoyance. However, the next day his services are required, when there's a playground accident involving his teacher. Feeling quite heroic, Doctor Ted is entirely satisfied upon getting into bed that night. Ted is ready the next morning--not to become a doctor again, but rather a fireman. Lemaitre's illustrations are bright, bold and childlike. They effectively show the variety of responses Ted receives during his attempts to heal the sick (and not so sick). The colors are vivid and add to the mood of each section of text. Kids will be anxious to see what kind of fireman Ted becomes. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
