Old Bear and Friends facts for kids

"Old Bear and Friends" is a super popular series of children's books by British author and artist Jane Hissey. These lovely books also became a BAFTA award-winning television show called Old Bear Stories.

The front cover of the first Old Bear book

What Happens in the Stories?

The toys in the playroom remember that Old Bear disappeared a long time ago. He was put away in the attic! Luckily, they rescue him and bring him back down to the playroom. Old Bear becomes the most respected toy. He helps guide the others through their many fun adventures. In Splash, a book from 2003, the toys even leave the house and garden for the first time!

Meet the Characters!

• Old Bear — This old, dusty teddy bear is very sensible. He loves to solve problems and keep everyone happy. Old Bear looks after all the other toys. He even loves reading them a bedtime story. Did you know Old Bear is based on a real teddy bear? Jane Hissey, the author, got him from her grandmother when she was a baby!
• Bramwell Brown — A wise brown teddy bear. He's often seen as the second-in-command when Old Bear isn't around. Bramwell is very practical. He's always making and mending things. He also enjoys cooking, knitting, and sewing. He often has great ideas and helpful suggestions.
• Duck — This toy duck can be a bit grumpy. He often expects things to go wrong! He likes to warn the other toys about possible problems. Duck isn't very energetic. He usually just plods along with the others. He joins in, but never wants to be first. He can flap his wings to jump, but can't quite fly.
• Rabbit — An impulsive toy rabbit. He is bouncy, energetic, and lots of fun! Rabbit loves jumping more than anything. If jumping isn't high enough, he can fly the little wooden plane. He often uses it for rescue missions. Rabbit is fearless and sometimes rushes into things without thinking. This can get him into tricky spots. But he usually gets out with help from his friends.
• Little Bear — A small white toy bear. He wears super baggy orange trousers. Little Bear is happy, brave, and full of energy. He often gets into trouble without meaning to. Besides his blue-striped pyjamas for bed, he's almost always in his red trousers. He's small enough to ride on bigger toys like Hoot and Camel. He loves to lead adventures! But he still needs Old Bear, Bramwell Brown, or Hoot nearby, just in case. Little Bear likes being small. But he doesn't like being thought of as a baby. He rushes around so much that he's often hungry. Any mention of a picnic, party, or even porridge gets his attention!
• Dog — A black toy dog.
• Cat — A black toy cat.
• Camel — A helpful and kind camel. She follows rather than leads. Camel is one of the biggest toys. She can carry more than one smaller toy on her back.
• Zebra — A stuffed zebra. She is always helpful. Even though she isn't good at running or jumping, she's usually where the action is. She joins in quietly. Zebra has her own little red wooden cart. It can carry things like wooden bricks for building. Or it can give rides to the smaller toys.
• Sailor — A sailor doll. He's the same size as Little Bear. Sailor joins in Little Bear's adventures. He loves anything to do with boats or the sea. He knows a lot about both!
• Jolly Tall — A toy giraffe. Jolly Tall is a cheerful character who is always smiling. He rushes to help anyone. His long neck is especially useful for rescuing small friends from high places.
• Hoot — A female white toy owl. She lives in the attic. Hoot is the only toy who can fly! She is sensible, kind, and motherly. She likes to look after the "younger" characters. Hoot sleeps all day in her nest on top of the wardrobe. (Unless someone needs rescuing, then she leaps into action!) At night, when everyone else is asleep, Hoot is awake and busy. No one is really sure what she does. But if anything is missing in the morning, Hoot might have tidied it away in the night!
• Ruff — A bouncy toy dog. He's fun to play with. But sometimes he can mix up games by being a little too bouncy. He has to be careful not to leave muddy footprints everywhere!
• Ruby — A little toy mouse with a knitted red jumper. She is adventurous and playful. She has many ideas for new games.
• Blue Rabbit — A lively blue toy rabbit. He loves parties and adventures with Ruby. His bright yellow shirt and blue spotty trousers make him a colorful addition to any page.
• Blanket — A white toy horse with black spots. Blanket likes to make sure everyone is safe and happy. He has some very useful advice for the other toys. But he joins in all the fun too!
• The Naughty Cats — These are the main troublemakers! They are five toy cats who cause a lot of trouble for Ruby, Blue, and Blanket. But Blanket knows how to get them to behave themselves.
• Splash — A friendly toy seal with a sea-shell necklace. She meets the toys while they are on holiday at the beach. She is kind and fun. She even rescues Little Bear when he floats out to sea in a bucket!
• Elsie — A little toy elephant. She is the newest character to join the toys. Elsie is very good at almost everything. But sometimes she is a little too excited. For example, when tying bows or blowing up balloons, she doesn't know when to stop! The other toys have a hard time keeping up with her. Elsie's trunk means she can do things others can't. Like using a knife, fork, and spoon all at once! And blowing the most amazing bubbles! Elsie is the same size as Little Bear. So she can join in all his games. But he doesn't always need her help.

The Books in the Series

• Old Bear (1986)
• Little Bear's Trousers (1987)
• Teddy Bear Tales (1988)
• Little Bear Lost (1989)
• Old Bear Birthday Book (1990)
• Jolly Tall (1990)
• Jane Hissey's Old Bear Journal (1991)
• Old Bear and His Friends (1991)
• Jolly Snow (1991)
• Little Bear's Bedtime (1992)
• Little Bear's Day (1992)
• Old Bear - My First Year (Jane Hissey Collection) (1992)
• Old Bear Address Book (1992)
• Old Bear Height Chart (1993)
• Old Bear Bookplates (1993)
• Ruff (1994)
• Old Bear Stories (1994) (This book contains Old Bear, Jolly Tall, Jolly Snow and Ruff)
• Old Bear Autograph Book (1994)
• Old Bear - A Pop-up Book (1995)
• Hoot (1996)
• Old Bear Photograph Album (1997)
• The Old Bear Board Book (1998) (a new version of 'Old Bear')
• Jolly Tall Board Book (1998)
• Jolly Snow Board Book (1998)
• Little Bear's Dragon and Other Stories (1999)
• Little Bear's Alphabet (2000)
• Little Bear's Numbers (2001)
• What's the Time, Little Bear? (2001)
• Old Bear's All-Together Painting (2001) (also known as Old Bear's Surprise Painting)
• Splash (2003)
• Happy Birthday Old Bear (2016)
• Little Bear and the Silver Star (2020)