Kiddo2 Builds-A-Bear

We ended up in Build-A-Bear yesterday, and Kiddo#2 exclaimed, “Mom! It’s my bear!”

I didn’t know what she meant at first. Last year, one of her bears got recalled, so I thought maybe it was back, but instead she pointed out a blue bear with white stars. And I remembered.

On November 29, 2010, she sent this email to Build A Bear corporate:

Dear Guest Services,

My name is Kiddo#2. I am nine years old and have three build a bears that I love very much.

I have a suggestion for a new bear called the Starlight Shimmer Bear. It would be navy blue with yellow stars all over it. The stars on its belly would would form a constellation. A sound to go with it would be a falling star sound. For clothes it should have a crown with stars all over it, a dress with “I {heart} stars” or “I {heart} constellations” on it. The heart should be made out of stars!

If you release it for 4th of July, the Starlight Shimmer bear could have a companion, the Star Spangled Bear.

I would really like this bear. Can you please let me know if you ever make it?

Thank you very much,

Kiddo#2

At the time, she asked me to check weekly to see if her bear was out, so I’d told her it takes a year or two for these things to get through production. There are meetings; they have to develop the catalog. I told her, “It takes about eighteen months.” She said, “What about next summer? Could they do it in six?” so I said yes. And last summer, she was disappointed. No Starlight Shimmer bear.

She held the bear and looked at me wildly. “But they didn’t write me to tell me they were making it!”

The always-awesome employees at the Build-A-Bear were impressed that she’d suggested a bear to corporate. And looking now at her letter, I can’t help but think it really might have been part of their planning. Why? The display bear was dressed entirely in red, white and blue. They called it the Star Style Bear, not the Starlight Shimmer bear, but I think it’s close enough in execution that they might have run with her idea.

The bear was on sale for $15, and we had a $10 credit to the store. Her brothers had just bought something at the Lego store for $5. I said, “Do you want the bear?”

Five minutes later, one of the Build-A-Bear attendants was stuffing the bear, and Kiddo2 was naming it Midnight.

As an side, The Guardian (the Tabris novel) now has a new title. And a new cover. But I’m not going to tell you yet.