Teddy Bear Sunflower

Named for Theodore Roosevelt, the original Teddy Bear was an homage to a bear the President refused to kill during a hunting expedition (it had been restrained for him, which to Roosevelt felt unsportsmanlike). The toy captured the pathos of the moment in its soft, cuddly, utterly un-scary form. This sunflower is aptly named. Its blooms are plush golden pillows; its stature is diminutive; its appeal to children is universal; and, like the original bear, it is kept alive by the mercy of kind human beings.