“Misadventures of Rodney the Bear”
Tragically, many children outgrow and discard their teddy bears as they leave their childhood behind. Unknown to most humans, these bears are rescued and live amongst us. One such community is found on Ursidae Lane on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but it is only visible to children and adults who retain their imagination.
Rodney the Bear, the twenty-first child in his family, is lost, adopted by pandas Seymour and Hilda, and later joins the Ursidae community. He develops an obsession for cheeseburgers, with often comic results. His vivid imagination continually causes problems for the other bears. He and his hilarious friends manage to go from one comic situation to another ... from nearly starting a war to accidentally being launched into space and from temporarily changing the course of history to almost ruining Christmas as they visit the North Pole. With the assistance of a host of memorable characters, Rodney finally connects with his better side.
This book will delight children of all ages and appeal to adults with its powerful underlying messages about what truly matters in life. The characters and stories are an outflow of the author’s life and experiences and are a memorial to his sister, an actual character in the stories.
You will enjoy their antics and the positive messages, with even some subtle educational content added.
“The book just feels good. It’s entertaining with lots of feeling. The book brought back memories of my childhood. Rodney may not be the brightest bulb on the tree, but he is kind-hearted and loves cheeseburgers and his bear family. They feel like real bears, complex characters, but not complex in the way they think. I would love to live with them because they are vibrant and happy. Sometimes you just want to be a kid again, and this is a great book to fall asleep reading because it feels so happy and joyful - no nightmares like reading a dystopian novel. A parent would enjoy reading this with their child because it’s a great way to bond and be entertained. Rodney always makes you feel better.”
“This is undoubtedly the most significant literary achievement of the millennium. It’s a must-read for all, the story of a legendary superhero. Can I have another cheeseburger?”
“Every child learns early that minor misunderstandings can lead to major misadventures. Thankfully, they can find comfort and a lot of laughs in the outrageous hijinks of a terminally confused stuffie in George Radcliffe’s The Misadventures of Rodney the Bear. It’s worth the read alone for the riotous situations that ensue when Rodney goes out seeking his beloved cheeseburgers or, like Amelia Bedelia, takes every word literally as idioms and metaphors fly over his head.
But the book isn’t all slapstick. There’s also sweetness in Rodney’s relationships with the members of the extended stuffie family that always rescue him from his missteps (or simply love and accept him if the damage can’t be undone). And when you read Radcliffe’s backstory, you’ll understand how he so beautifully and effortlessly portrays familial love and devotion.
My 10-year-old hustled through all these stories, and so will your kid. Rodney is vivid, charming, and larger than life, and all the characters in his family are fully rendered. The plots are sturdy and plentiful, the pacing is tight, and the action keeps the laughs coming nonstop. When you’re finished laughing, you’ll notice that the laughs have been carrying along a story of acceptance and devotion.
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