I'll Protect You From the Jungle Beasts by Martha Alexander

32 p., Dial, 1973. A toddler in one-piece pajamas assures his teddy bear that he'll protect Teddy from lions, tigers, and hyenas. As the child begins to feel that he's lost in the woods, the bear grows bigger and comforts the frightened child (who attributes his shaking and perspiration to fever), finally carrying him home to bed. The next morning, Teddy is back to his normal size. This story shows children at least two ways to cope with fear: to talk to themselves in a comforting way (as the boy talks to the teddy bear) and to use a comforting object (in this case, the bear). Ages 3-5