Press Release

St. Louis, MO (May, 2005) - It has been more than four months since the world watched in horror as Tsunamis struck the Indian Ocean coastline. Homes were destroyed, children orphaned, and survivors often left with little more than the clothes on their backs. As thousands of the littlest survivors rebuild their lives, they will be getting bear hugs from other children around the world. This is all part of the Build-A-Bear Workshop® fifth annual Stuffed with Hugs™ charitable program, which provides children the opportunity to help other children. This year kids from all around the world will be participating in this first-ever international event, named Project Bearlift.

More than 40,000 teddy bears will be stuffed with love on May 14 and "bearlifted" to children in Maldives, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and India. Build-A-Bear Workshop is inviting the first 200 Guests in each store all around the world - in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Japan, South Korea and Australia - to visit a store and make a bear for free. The bears made that day will be donated to the effort. Build-A-Bear Workshop has partnered with UNICEF to ensure that the bears are given to the children most in need of comfort and an extra hug.

More than one million children were affected by the tsunami that destroyed homes, schools, communities and families throughout South Asia on December 26. While UNICEF's efforts to help those children are now focused on long-term reconstruction, the agency is also committed to providing children with psychological support and assistance.

"We want to do everything possible to give children opportunities and assistance to recover psychologically and regain a sense of comfort and fun," said Anne-Marie Grey, UNICEF's chief of International Corporate Alliances. "The generous donation of teddy bears by Build-A-Bear Workshop will go a long way toward helping children deal with the after-effects of the disaster."

"We heard from our Guests following this disaster that they were looking for ways to help and Stuffed With Hugs: Project Bearlift is a wonderful way for kids to reach out and help other kids," says Maxine Clark, Founder and Chief Executive Bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop®. "This natural disaster shocked the world and people responded with great generosity. We don't want to forget the children who are still trying to rebuild their lives. Stuffed with Hugs: Project Bearlift empowers our young Guests to send an important message to the children in the South Asian region that we care about them."

On Saturday, May 14, the first 200 Guests at each of the more than 180 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in the United States and Canada, as well as the 15 total stores in the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, South Korea and Australia, will be invited to make a bear for free that will be donated to UNICEF. Participants will also be able to meet Build-A-Bear Workshop mascot Bearemy®. Additionally, each attendee will be given a $3 off a $15 purchase Build-A-Bear Workshop coupon for their participation.

To learn about Stuffed with Hugs: Project Bearlift activities or to find a store in your area, visit www.buildabear.com.

About Build-A-Bear Workshop
Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE: BBW), with fiscal 2004 total revenue of $302 million, is the only national company that offers Guests an interactive make-your-own-stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. The first store opened in St. Louis in 1997; at the end of 2004 the company operated 170 stores in 40 states and Canada. With the opening of its store in Sheffield, England, in the fall of 2003 and the addition of international stores in Japan, Denmark and Australia in 2004, Build-A-Bear Workshop has become the global leader in the teddy bear business. In November 2004, the company opened two friends 2B made® stores, the newest concept based on the doll-making experience. For more information about the company and its products, call 888.560.BEAR (2327) or visit the company's award-winning web site at www.buildabear.com.

About UNICEF
Founded in 1946, UNICEF helps save, protect and improve the lives of children around the world through immunization, education, health care, nutrition, clean water, and sanitation. UNICEF is non-partisan and its cooperation is free of discrimination. In everything it does, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority. To make a donation or learn more about UNICEF, please call 1-800-4UNICEF or go to www.unicefusa.org.

TRADEMARKS
We would like to thank you for your interest in covering our business. As you write your story we would like to ask that you use our full Name: Build-A-Bear Workshop® and that when referencing the process of making stuffed animals you use the word "make" not "build."

Build-A-Bear Workshop® is our well-known trade name and our registered trademark of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. Build-A-Bear Workshop® should only be used in capital letters to refer to our products and services and should not be used as a verb.