Reviewed by Mick

Teddy talk is the familiar tale of toys coming to life after the owner steps out of the room. Teddy and his pals take off on an adventure one afternoon and head for the trampoline. There is a minor mishap and some mad scurrying to restore normalcy before the toys' owner returns.

There are some original moments in this tale but Teddy Talk is strictly for the young or the young at heart. Our author, Hayley, is only 12 years old and shows remarkable talent for one so young. Her dialog segments (although a little over used) are neatly linked to character with lines such as "exclaimed Woe in awe", "volunteered Honey", "she wailed" and "asked Honey doubtfully". In this respect the author reflected the writing of someone much older and demonstrated a wide repertoire of descriptive skills.

As is common with younger authors the story tended to read more like a conversation. It included just a little too much conversation between characters and at times I felt there may have been a couple of toys too many for the restrictive parameters of a short story.

The adventure is a solid and interesting tale. I REALLY wanted to know what happened to Michael's leg. Did the owner discover the bandage? I felt cheated at the end and hoped the owner might notice something. The bandage should have stood out like a sore ... leg! But I suspect the author knew she was frustrating her readers and it worked.

I can't wait for the sequel.