Old Bear

Old Bear and Friends

by Jane Hissey

A long time ago, Old Bear was packed away in a cardboard box and taken to the attic. Now the day of his rescue has come. But how to find a way up to the attic door? Bramwell Brown, Little Bear, Duck and Rabbit try everything, from jumping on a bed to climbing a not-so-steady tower of blocks, to no avail. Then Duck stumbles upon an idea, and up Little Bear and Rabbit fly in their toy plane--to the rescue! In Old Bear, Jane Hissey has created a timeless story for the very young--or anyone with an old bear in their life.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Friendship, Animals, Classics, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Recognized in both publishing and TV, Jane Hissey is best known for her children’s book series Old Bear & Friends. First published in 1986, it later became the inspiration for BAFTA award winning TV series Old Bear Stories.

As a child growing up in Norfolk, Jane developed a love for writing and drawing. Her holidays were spent wandering fields and lanes, conjuring up fantastical worlds with pencil and sketchbook. When she wasn’t doing this she would spend days at a time sitting in her favorite tree, reading the likes of Arthur Ransome and Enid Blyton.

Jane continued to nurture her passion through adulthood and studied illustration and design, later becoming an Art teacher and settling down with her husband Ivan and their 3 children Owen, Alison & Ralph. Inspired by a childhood teddy bear given to her by her grandmother, Jane has written and illustrated more than 20 picture books featuring Old Bear.

Her tales of adventure and discovery are both heartwarming and fun, captivating the imaginations of children and adults alike. Her illustrations are unique, using layers of colour pencil to build a more full & finely detailed finished image.

The Old Bear & Friends series has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide!

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was wonderful. I loved the old toys as they schemed ways to get Old Bear down from the attic. Fans of Toy Story will enjoy this one.

The art is wonderful and the characters are based of Jane Hissey's kid's toys. Highly recommended. A blast from the past for the toys any adult can appreciate and a fun, imaginative story for the kids to enjoy. We love this book in our house!

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant story for children and I have enjoyed reading this book through the years.
The book is wonderfully illustrated and it's such a really lovely story of toys that come to life.
A story of friendship and looking out for each other which really captivates a child's attention.
Very well written and illustrated. Highly recommended.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for illustrations, 3 stars for story.

Jane Hissey's illustrations are absolutely marvelous! So warm and cuddly and realistic; the old bear looks so sweet, worn and real, I felt like I could reach out and touch his soft fur. I really loved this for the illustrations. The story itself is a bit too long-winded and I didn't really sense anything special in the voice; I imagine if Hissey was trying to get into picture books today they would have paired her with another author or else pared down her text quite a bit. Still, it's a nice story of friendship and the value of "old things" but the real merit here is the illustrations. I'll be on the look out for more of Hissey's work.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like Old Bear himself, we had put this book on a shelf and had forgotten about it until recently. I'm so glad that we dusted it off and read it again as it's just beautiful. The illustrations are gorgeous and the story really brings a tear to the eye. It's about friendship and growing up, old and new, care and love. A perfect bedtime tale.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dunno, the story just doesn't have enough going on for how long it is. Is it for tots, or young children? Or nostalgic adults? Still, the pictures are indeed lovely. And maybe families today should be given an excuse to slow down and spend some time reading together, instead of racing through a stack of shiny new Bob Shea books. But, um, 1986 is classic?

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old bear has been up in the attic for a very long time. His friend's are on a mission to bring him back home. The story is based on a bear that Jane Hissey had as a child. Beautiful illustrations by her, as well.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as a child!!! The illustrations are amazing. Truly a treasure :).

[Fjóla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kinda would have thought this was a much older book. I mean, 1986? Was it that long ago??
But, the story is in the old vein. It's a new classic, of sorts. Nothing striking maybe, but a nice story of friendship, friends who are ready to do anything in their power to help out one of theirs. My son, just 4, was quite touched by the story, but also the illustrations for which he often asked for extra time to admire them before I would turn the page. The pictures are super realistic. Sweet story!
It's great to see that there's a whole series out there about Old Bear and Friends.

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was little. It’s just as good now as it was then.
The illustrations are so comforting, realistic and soft. There is warm feel to them which I love.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic tale to treasure.

I have to admit to shedding a tear or two when the most beautiful special collector’s limited edition copy of Old Bear came through the letterbox, which brought back so many memories and nostalgia as I gazed upon the golden cover.

The television series was something that I loved watching as a child as well as reading the stories, of the toys in the playroom from Duck to Rabbit and my favorite of them all the little bear with his red trousers. I have always loved teddy bears and used to read many stories about them whilst keeping my special bear next to me, who was a good friend that still is cherished today even though he has been moved to the cupboard. This captivating tale is one of friendship, love and fun that will delight as many children of today as it did myself in the nineties till now. Jane Hissey is not only a great storyteller full of creativity, imagination and originality but an accomplished artist whose stunning illustrations adorn each page of this wonderful book. This classic tale is one that is heartfelt, poignant and endearing that both children and their parents will want to re-read time and time again, as it is so universally loved having found a special place within all our hearts. The model animation television series was one that I took much delight in that brought Jane Hissey’s stories to life before your very eyes, as those characters that one loved in her books had adventures on screen. Complete with a ‘scrapbook’ of information, pictures and photographs on the author herself and the history of her books and the toys this truly is a book for any fan and teddy bear collector/ enthusiast as well as a most precious gift for a child. Seeing images of the original Old Bear toys made me quite emotional as I had grown up watching them and reading about their exciting adventures, hence being just as much loved today as they ever were. You are never too old to enjoy the simple pleasure that a Teddy Bear can bring; for the child who wants a friend to the collector of bears from Steiff to Boyds.

I would like to thank the author for having her book as a giveaway on GoodReads, which I concider myself most privileged to have received. Old Bear is much more than just a mere children’s storybook but rather a new edition of a classic, which has an extensive history from toys in the attic to television and sketches, and for any child within the twentieth century to be presented with something with such a history is quite special and magical. This book will be read to my nephews who like me I am sure will love the story and the group of friends who make this an adventure to remember, which can be followed up in other books such as Old Bear stories and my all-time favorite Little Bears Trousers (a tale that I loved so much as a child with my old copy now sellotaped together). The wonderful illustrations bring this magical story to life as well as make this edition an enchanting book to treasure, as something quite exceptional. I hope that Old Bear rekindles that love of toys that are simple in design; with a little stuffing and a button nose, but which outshine many gadgets and modern electrical toys of today thus making you want to climb a ladder and delve into those dusty boxes in the loft to find hidden treasures. This exquisite edition will sit alongside those old copies that have been with me for years on the bookshelf as they are now read to my family, with it bringing back such fond, happy memories that I shall never forget.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Hissey's books were some of my absolute favourites as a young child. "Old Bear" tells the story of how an old and fragile teddy is retrieved from the attic by his other soft-toy friends. I particularly love the pictures and the creativity of all the attempted rescue methods (including making parachutes out of handkerchiefs!)

[Mehzabein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first time I read old bear and quite enjoyed the story. At the end of it, I thought this would be a great book to read to KS1 children and would be an excellent story that could be implemented within the lesson plan and the theme of toys. I thought the story book put accross a sense of belonging and was good for providing children with positive messages about looking out for our friends and caring for one another. Furthermore, whilst reading the story, it was easy to imagine children reading along with the teacher, "Ready!, Steady, Go!!" or during the countdown "...Five, four, three, two, one! ZERO!" so as well as being excellent for literacy, there was also cross curricular elements such as maths and history which linked with this story book and it all depended on the type of lessons conducted around it. Overall, I think the book is engaging with large pictures on one side of the page corresponding with the story so children are able to visualise what is going on so I think its a good book to have within the classroom.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of several toy friends who begin to miss Old Bear. He was put up in the attic to protect him when the children were young. But now they are old enough to take care of him and so Duck, Rabbit, Little Bear and Bramwell Brown decide to rescue him from the attic. It's not easy getting a toy down from the attic when you are a toy. It requires a great deal of creativity, problem solving and determination to implement a successful plan. But these darling toys persevere. The story is sweet and the illustrations are detailed and precious...I wanted to hold Bramwell Brown or Old Bear in my arms. I love that Old Bear is based on a teddy bear that the author owned and loved.

[Mr. Danny Arévalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister reminded me of this book that we used to own as kids. So I rented it from my local library today and read it to my children at bedtime. The nostalgia was VERY real. My daughter fell asleep half way through the book since we stayed up past their normal bedtime tonight. But I plan on reading it again and hope that this will be a cherished book for them just as it was for me when I was their age.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story of toy friends working together to rescue the teddy bear abandoned in the attic.
Hissey's paintings are meticulously detailed and realistic. The paintings of the toys are identical to the photo of the toys in the author's blurb at the back! She also wrote a few other stories featuring the same toy animals that were just as lovely.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful read from my childhood, one I’d certainly suggest for other youngsters. Whilst it is not my all-time favourite childhood read I can still recall all the details of this one meaning it certainly left a lasting impression upon my young mind.

And isn’t that what we want with children’s books, for them to leave a positive lasting impression?

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute 🥰

[Sarah Huebner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Hissey's Old Bear & Little Bear series' were some of my favorites to read to my Pre-K class!!

[Scythe Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sehr süß!

[Emily Shilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a hidden treasure! I loved this book when I was growing up. The book tells the classic story of putting a teddy bear in the loft, forgetting it for many years and re-discovering it.
The beautifully drawn illustrations are fantastic; Hissey manages to effectively capture texture and detail in the toys that the drawings look like photographs. All pictures have an element of darkness to them, which I think symbolises the overall theme of the book. When I was a child I remember feeling quite scared when my parents were reading the story to me, because the pictures seemed dull and gloomy and I thought the toys looked scary! Nonetheless, the illustrations are amazing.
This book is quite lengthy; longer compared to some picture books. I rated this book 4 stars because I feel that this book may be long winded for some children causing them to lose interest.
The layout of the book is predominately structured so that the illustrations take up one page and the writing is displayed on the other page. I feel that this is an effective way of laying out a picture book because it is very clear and visually pleasing for young children.

[Julie Biles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perusing our local library, I came upon a few of Jane Hissey's books, this being one. The lovely cover was familiar and as I flipped through the pages, my mind and heart were flooded with the memories of these adorable tales and beautiful illustrations. The characters and illustrations are based on the author's own children's most beloved toys; similar to the inspiration of A.A. Milne's, Christopher Robin and Pooh. In this particular book, we read about Old Bear who has been stored away in the attic for his own protection, as he is old and tattered. His friends proceed to attempt his rescue.

My grandchildren are delighted by this story, as were their parents when they were young.

Addendum:
We gave this book to one of our grandchildren on Christmas 2020. We read many books aloud everyday and the grands all have their favorites, BUT Old Bear was by far the most requested of all this holiday season. We read it at least 10 times over a 5 day visit.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old bear is a fictional children’s story where toys come to life! Brown bear had a strange feeling that his friend old bear had been forgotten after being placed in the attic. He decides that they shall all go on a mission to rescue friend old bear down from the attic. Several attempts are made before Rabbit and little bear realise that they can rescue old bear by flying in a toy helicopter up to the attic. They are successful in doing this and Old bear is found and reunited with his friends.

This is an old traditional children’s fiction that I remember being read to myself, I think that this is a very calming story to read perhaps at the end of the day. The age I would read this to would be 4-7 year olds; this book can initiate children’s imagination.

[K. McDevitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book! I selected this off the library shelves for the subject matter and art, and I wasn't at all disappointed by its charm. It's the story of several stuffed animals who remember that another stuffed animal, an old bear, had been put up in the attic storage so the small children couldn't damage him. They work together using their creativity and heart to rescue the bear. Most of their attempts fail, but they manage it in the end. And then there is a happy reunion and snuggling. What a perfect story by itself. But the art is stunning. It's warm and detailed, showing the stuffed animals' ages and imperfections as well as how incredibly soft and squishy they look. What a gorgeous, heartwarming picture book!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little too wordy for my son. He still kept along but every once in a while he lost his concentration. We loved the premise of the story and the drawings. But I think it could have been better had it been simplified. It wasn't a bad read but I don't think we will be reading this one again

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about some toys who realise their friend had not come back from being put away in the attic. So they try out different ways of rescuing him. This story could be good for a junk modelling or materials lesson based on how to build the tallest structure or on a making parachutes.

[RJC · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reread. A nice classic story, encourages toddlers to jump on the bed.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Old Bear walked, so that Toy Story could run. (Or at least that's what I think my 7 year old would say if he read this book.)

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Old Bear," stuffed animals inhabit a world that is vivid yet tender, as described and illustrated by mega-talented Jane Hissey.

Show me a child who doesn't like stuffed animals and... I'll show you a child who has never been given a good one.

Very likely, then, your child will be root for Old Bear, after he has gone missing. Likewise, they will root for his friends -- Little Bear, Duck, Rabbit and, especially, Bramwell Brown -- to rescue our cuddly hero from an attic, where he has been packed away in a box.

I'm struck by the considerate writing throughout. For instance, about Old Bear having been packed away in a box, how come? Passive verb construction allows us to blame nobody. All we're told, really, is that "The children were being too rough with him and he needed somewhere safe to go for a while."

Will there be a happy ending? What do you think, Goodreaders?

FIVE STARS for a lovely book illustrated by the author.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to go out on a limb and give it the full five stars. The story is sweet and well-told, but the illustrations--oh, those illustrations!--they're absolutely gorgeous. A note at the end says it might take her a year to produce a book, because of the quality of the illustrations, and I believe it. Stun-ning, and absolutely apt for this charmer of a tale.

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

The idea that toys are really alive and go on little adventures when no one is around is such a simple yet perfect idea that fascinates children.
I remember thinking how cool it would be for my teddys to do this when I was really young.

This delightful tale taps into that notion perfectly as various animals in a playroom attempt to rescue an older bear in the attic.

Such a simple plot, yet their various attempts to reach him get more and more elaborate.
It's a really wonderful story about friends and the accompanying illustrations are lovely too.