Teddy Visits The Vet is more than meets the eye. It is more than a simple child’s picture book. It is nuanced! It is disarming! It is unexpected! Krauss takes an innocuous event and uses it as a launch pad to explore deeper themes of gender, identity, anxiety, choice, and consent. She leads us by the hand through a routine visit to the vet where she introduces many of these complex themes to young readers in a truly organic and authentic way. Teddy stands as a totem for the young reader, a means by which they can explore and discuss feelings that they may also experience. Like Teddy, this book has many lives.
For some people, young and older (I include myself), a visit to the doctor is not a welcome trip. There can be anxiety connected to the visit. The doctor’s office is where you go when you don’t feel well so it is often associated with negative emotions. You get poked and prodded while the doctor tries to determine the diagnosis, which then results in a remedy that may include being stuck with a needle or having to take yucky medicine. Anxiety abounds with either option.
In my culture, a visit to the doctor was not normalized and it was treated as a last resort which again solidified feelings of anxiety and fear, as the young mind will trigger doomsday scenarios based largely on their imagination. This book is the perfect prescription to circumvent these emotions. Krauss gives a step-by-step guide and defines terms and explains each procedure in a way that neutralizes that associated fear. Through Teddy, a young reader (or older one) can relate to and confront their own anxieties.
I especially liked the coping mechanism included in the story. By showing how Teddy can cope with his feelings using a breathing technique, Krauss is offering the reader a real gift that they can take with them to be pulled out in times of need. Through this book and Teddy’s visit, Krauss will assist many of those afflicted with this malady, and again I include myself.
The theme of anxiety associated with doctor visits is a hefty one, and yet, Krauss used this single event to explore other complex themes that derived from that visit. The theme of consent was demonstrated through Teddy ‘choosing’ to be vaccinated.
The hot topic themes of gender, identity and choice were explored through the ‘twist’: “Teddy is a FEMALE!?!?” These complex and interconnected themes are all around us. Through this twist, which was jaw dropping to me having read most all the previous Teddy books, will not only invoke surprise to the young reader and Teddy fan, but it will also present a safe space for the young reader to approach discourse on topics that can be confusing and challenging to explore. Krauss must be commended for her approach to these themes. By identifying the role played by assumption and recognizing the role played by choice, the young reader received the message that their identity is just that, THEIRS, and that message is priceless.
When exploring hot-button topics, there is the risk that the discussion can make some uncomfortable. The themes explored are complex and mature and though some parents / guardians may be agreeable to the resulting discourse reading this book may provoke, there may be an equal amount that aren’t.
As I said earlier, young readers are exposed to many of society’s challenges and discourses consciously and inadvertently and are much more perceptive than they are credited for. I concede that as a parent, you want to keep the blinders on to protect your child’s innocence as long as possible. That said, these themes are only introduced and offer a relatable and age-appropriate platform to answer questions that may or may not arise. It is left to the guardian / parent how much more of the topic they want to explore.
Teddy Visits The Vet simply provides a means to check in with the young reader and give them a safe space to converse, which is something Krauss is extremely skillful at doing. Together with Van Ness’ colourful and endearing illustrations, this book provides a coziness, openness and warmth that will welcome any discussion that the young reader may want to have.
I must divulge that I’ve never been a cat person. My family has always kept dogs as pets. Then one day, my daughter went fully against the grain and decided she wanted a cat. I couldn’t wrap head around that idea, having been indoctrinated in the ‘cats are evil’ club by my mother who is deathly afraid of them. It wasn’t until I met Teddy that my heart and my head opened to the idea of having a cat as a pet and seeing them as the complex animals they are. The Teddy books became my introduction and my tutelage on how to fall in love with cats. We have since gotten our own pet cat and I do credit the Teddy books with getting me to that stage.
Teddy Visits The Vet is another gem in the crown of the glorious Teddy canon. This book solidifies that cats are indeed more than meets the eye, just as this simple visit to the vet revealed that Teddy was also more than met the eye…
Pros:
- Charming and nuanced
- Relatable exploration of themes
- References to other books solidify cohesion of character
- Illustrations reinforced continuity of Teddy’s character
- Reference to Rosie the Riveter was appropriate and delightful
Cons:
- Some guardians / parents may not be ready to expose younger readers to the mature themes of gender, identity, consent and choice explored in the plot
Favourite Character:
- Teddy
Scribble's Worth 
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