Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Old Bear
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Tundra Books, 2013 ISBN: 978-1770494817
One day Bramwell Brown the teddy bear, Rabbit, Duck, and Little Bear are sitting on the window sill. Bramwell remembers that “someone wasn’t there who should be.” Quite a long time ago the grownups decided that the children were being too rough with Old Bear and so they put him in a box and carried him up the ladder, through a trap door, and into the attic. Poor Old Bear has been separated from his friends ever since
The children have grown up a fair bit since then and Bramwell thinks it is time that they rescued their old friend. The problem is that they are all rather small, too small to reach the trap door in the ceiling.
The friends try building a tower of toy blocks. They try bouncing on a bed. Little Bear even tries climbing a potted plant, but all their plans come to nothing. They don’t even get close to being able to reach the trap door, but they don’t give up hope. Somehow they have to find a way to get into the attic to rescue Old Bear.
In this wonderful first Old Bear picture book, Jane Hissey celebrates true friendship, the kind of friendship that leads to great quests, many falls and bumps, and sweet moments. With her beautiful colored pencil drawings and a timeless story, this book gives children a tale that they will come back to again and again. Children and their grownups around the world have been enjoying the Old Bear stories since the first book was published more than twenty-five years ago.
