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Through the eyes of a child, life is a big adventure and full of wonder and magic. It can also be a rollercoaster of emotions. Tederico and Augustus are teddy bears that are well-loved by their owners: a brother and sister. They are adventurous, mischievous, and full of life—engaging in everything from discovering a beast that looks remarkably like a kitten, sneaking food, and hiding from other children who want to take them home. Wallis uses the characters of Tederico and Augustus to explore the curiosity of children and the different feelings it conveys, whether it be fear, love, wonder, or rebellion. She captures these perfectly in beautiful, fun illustrations and uses language that is easy for a child to follow along.
What makes Wallis’ story unique from other children’s books is that this one not only tells the tales of two teddy bears but also includes questions at the end of each chapter for a child to reflect upon (relating to the adventure told). However, while the questions do tie in well to the various scenes, they don’t focus on how they impact the teddy bears, which might have helped children to delve further into the exploring their own emotions in the moment. Still, the use of questions is great for children to learn how they relate to the characters in the story, helping them to explore their own thoughts about what occurs and be a part of that world. For example, when Tederico and Augustus discover the kitten, the author asks the readers what they would name the kitten. Overall, this is a wonderful read for young children and their parents.