Brooklyn, 1903: "My life, it's better than most guys have it. I got plenty to eat. I got Mama and Papa both. And they don't hit," fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom says. Still, Joe feels deprived because he hasn't yet visited Coney Island's new amusement park. Joe's parents, though, have just invented the Teddy bear, and between running the booming new business, caring for Joe's sick little brother, and mourning the death of Joe's aunt Golda, they have no time for entertainment. Angry at his parents, Joe heads to Coney Island alone and quickly discovers what bad luck really is. Author's note.