''Polar the Titanic Bear'' is a children's book written by Margaretta "Daisy" Corning Spedden (née Stone) (19 November 1871 – 10 February 1950) and released in 1994. Spedden was an American heiress who survived the
sinking of the ''Titanic'', and her account of her family's trip and the eventual disaster, written as a tale to amuse her seven-year-old son, was published about 45 years after her death. The story is told from the point of view of a Teddy Bear.
How the story was written
Spedden was born in
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown () is a town and the county seat of Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
*Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
* Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...]
in
Tuxedo Park, New York
Tuxedo Park is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. Its population was 623 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area as well as the larger New York metropolitan area. Its name ...
. The family traveled frequently, and she kept detailed diaries of the trips.
In April, 1912, the Speddens booked passage on the ''Titanic''. After the ship sank, Daisy was rescued by the
RMS ''Carpathia''. All members of the Spedden entourage survived the disaster.
[''Titanic'' Titanic.com](_blank)
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The next year, Spedden wrote and illustrated a book which told the story of the trip, sinking, and rescue from the point of view of Douglas' Teddy Bear.
Publication
After many years, the storybook was found in a trunk by Leighton H. Coleman III, a relative of Spedden's, and he decided to have it published. The story was edited by Hugh Brewster of Madison Books in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, and Canadian artist Laurie McGaw was chosen to illustrate the book in watercolours.Little Brown and Company
Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emily D ...
, 1994, 2001. ().Scholastic Books
Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and on ...
, 1998
* Hodder Headline, 1998 ()
* Rebound by Sagebrush, 2001. ()
The book has been translated into German
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* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, Spanish, Dutch and Japanese.
Awards
''Polar the Titanic Bear'' has won a number of awards for children's literature, including:
* Silver Birch Award of the Ontario Library Association
* 1998 BILBY Award (Young Readers Category) (Australia)
* Society of School Librarians' Award for International Best Book for K-6
* Finalist for the 1994 Governor General's Award (Canada), for Laurie McGaw's illustrations
* 1995 - Children's Choice Award
See also
* 1994 Governor General's Awards
References
External links
''Polar, The Titanic Bear'' web site
*
{{Teddy bears
1995 books
American children's books
Teddy bears
Books based on actual events
Children's books about bears
Fictional polar bears
Novels about RMS Titanic
American memoirs