Bear Review: Shakespeare

 

Review of Shakespeare Bear

by Jackie Law, book blogger, writer and arctophile

There is little better than book post, except perhaps bear post.

Shakespeare arrived in a canvas, drawstring bag decorated with images of all his friends. He is dressed in a well made and attractive black doublet, trimmed with burgundy velvet and antique gold satin. His ruff has been hand folded from grosgrain ribbon; he sports a bottle green velvet, Elizabethan bonnet trimmed with a feather. As with all writers, he comes prepared to make notes when inspiration strikes. Historians are divided over whether The Bard wrote with his right hand or his left hand; this little bear carefully holds his quill in his left paw. In his right he carries a ribbon bound stack of three plays: Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet. Each is a properly bound book, although currently lacking words.

As with all Great British Teddy Bears, Shakespeare is fully jointed, has soft fur, an adorable expression, and is stuffed to a consistency perfect for cuddling. All of his clothes and accessories are removable. For the purposes of this review I decided to take him to London to visit a few of the landmarks associated with his namesake. As travel can be hazardous, I packed his books and quill separately.

 

William Shakespeare was born 450 years ago.  Many of his plays were performed at the Globe Theatre.

Shakespeare Bear packed easily into the bag that I carried for our day out. He shared this with the usual, family paraphernalia: water bottles, snacks, books, toys, extra clothing. Despite being stored between my feet on the train, squished between commuters on the underground, pulled and pushed out of and into my bag for photo opportunities throughout the day, he remained looking dapper, undamaged and adorable. This is a robustly made bear that can be played with.

We got caught in a shower of rain from which I did my best to protect him. The slight dampness quickly dried out leaving no ill effects. Each time I posed him for a photograph, passers by would smile and occasionally remark on his good looks. He is a very handsome bear and enjoyed the attention.

 

Shakespeare Bear sitting on his Book Bench. Later in the day, mulling the possibility of time travel.

What else can I tell you about this teddy? He is perfectly sized, being neither too big to transport easily nor too small to cuddle comfortably. He is well made and durable, the perfect companion for a child or an adult. The attention to detail and quality of construction on both bear and accessories are impressive.

We enjoyed our day in the city and Shakespeare now sits quietly on my desk, emanating the wisdom and love that make teddy bears so special. After all the excitement of his arrival he can look forward to calm afternoons spent helping me with my writing.

So Shakespeare, how can I finish this review with the words: ‘Exit, pursued by a bear’?

(This post was written for The Great British Teddy Bear Company who provided my bear)

 

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