Otto

"They're never told about war! It scares publishers! Do we really imagine that children can avoid it with everything you see on TV? We can talk to them about war without trying to traumatise them," says Tomi Ungerer.

Otto, the fictional autobiography of a teddy bear who talks about war to children, was written in 1999. The story begins at the time of the Second World War and continuing until the 1990s, giving it the longest time frame among his stories. The friendship between two German boys, one of whom is Jewish, is cemented by a cuddly toy. The illustrator sets out to relate the conflicts that ravaged the 20th century. Tomi introduces elements of his own story, referring to the teddy bear from his childhood that he hung from his grandmother's window or to the bombing episodes he witnessed during the war. Tomi Ungerer endeavours to introduce young readers to the themes of war, Nazism and American social misery.
The teddy bear which served as Tomi Ungerer's model was purchased from a Canadian second-hand dealer. He actually did have an ink stain over his eye and left ear and it turned purple from repeated washing. This bear belongs to the collection of 1,500 toys that were donated to the Museum by the artist.