The making of
BIG AND YELLOW
Big Teddy and Yellow Teddy were not new when they came into my life, but they had already been well loved. I was very young, and an only child. Big and Yellow became my best friends.
Yellow Teddy was my confidant. I shared everything with her, and she listened attentively. Big Teddy was Yellow’s protector. He was always there - dependable, stalwart, and sure.
I used to wonder what they did when no one was home with them. Did they go exploring? Did they get outside? Did they miss me? The Adventures of Big and Yellow are the adventures I imagined that they had.
I grew up in a home in the suburbs of Los Angeles that was adjacent to an abandoned farm. The farmer and his family had left during WWII, and overnight the farm was left empty and deserted. The house and barn had long stood empty when my family moved into the neighborhood. The fields where once vegetables had grown were bare in places, and overgrown with weeds in others. It was a wonderful place to play, and my imagination soared! Much like the characters in the story, I always expected the farmer and his wife to one day return. They never did.
As I tried to describe Big and Yellow’s characters to my talented Illustrator, Frank Nissen, I realized that I had long ago given my bears the same traits that I saw in my mother and father. Sadly, my parents are gone now. But I still have Big and Yellow!
Check out some early sketches created by Frank Nissen as the character's personalities evolved. Included are some family photos taken at locations in the book. The last photo is of the real Big and Yellow as they look today.
