Their new friend Elsie the Elephant is especially excited about her gift: a painted umbrella. All the toys are busy preparing a special party. About the Book Happy 30th birthday, Old Bear! To celebrate, Jane Hissey has created a new adventure featuring her beloved character.

The Old Bear & Friends series has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide!. Her illustrations are unique, using layers of colour pencil to build a more full & finely detailed finished image. Her tales of adventure and discovery are both heartwarming and fun, captivating the imaginations of children and adults alike. 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. 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. 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. Her holidays were spent wandering fields and lanes, conjuring up fantastical worlds with pencil and sketchbook. First published in 1986, it later became the inspiration for BAFTA award winning TV series Old Bear Stories.Īs a child growing up in Norfolk, Jane developed a love for writing and drawing. Recognized in both publishing and TV, Jane Hissey is best known for her children’s book series Old Bear & Friends. 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, Alis As a child growing up in Norfolk, Jane developed a love for writing and drawing.

First published in 1986, it later became the inspiration for BAFTA award winning TV series Old Bear Stories.

Jane hissey soft toys