This is a charming picture book series about stuffed animals who are friends and have adventures together. The oldest among the stuffed animals is Old Bear, who was kept in the attic for a time because the young children of the family were being too rough with him. In the first book, the other stuffed animals help him to get down from the attic so that he can be with them in the playroom. Most of the books take place in the playroom or in the garden outside, but in one book, they also go to the beach. During the series, the stuffed animals meet new friends and teach young children basic lessons, like how to tell time.

Some of the books in the series are board books meant for very young children, three years old or less. Some of the books in the series that I didn’t list below are companion books and accessories, like an address book and a height chart.

The books are by Jane Hissey, and they were made into a tv show in the UK. You can sometimes find episodes of the show or clips of them on YouTube, and the author has her own YouTube channel.

Books in the Series:

Old Bear (1986)

Old Bear’s stuffed animal friends help him to get down from the attic where he is being kept so that he can join them in the playroom.

Little Bear’s Trousers (1987)

Little Bear can’t find his trousers, and it turns out that his friends borrowed them and have been using them for different purposes.

Jolly Tall (1990)

The stuffed animals meet a new friend, a stuffed giraffe.

Little Bear Lost (1991)

After the stuffed animals play hide-and-seek, they realize that they still can’t find Little Bear.

Jolly Snow (1991)

Jolly Tall wants to see snow, so his friends create an indoor snow storm for him.

Little Bear’s Bedtime (1992)

Little Bear gets ready for bed.

Little Bear’s Day (1992)

How Little Bear spends his day. A board book.

Ruff (1994)

A new stuffed dog arrives in the playroom. When the other stuffed animals discover that Ruff is seven years old but has never celebrated his birthday, they throw a week of birthday parties for him.

Hoot (1996)

Little Bear hears strange noises at night, and they discover that it’s a stuffed owl.

Little Bear’s Dragon and Other Stories (1999)

A collection of four stories.

Little Bear’s Alphabet (2000)

An alphabet book.

What’s the Time, Little Bear? (2001)

The stuffed animals do different things at different times throughout the day. Readers can move the hands on the clock face to learn how to tell time.

Old Bear’s Surprise Painting (2001)

The stuffed animals make messes with paint, but Old Bear knows how to turn it all into art.

Little Bear’s Numbers (2001)

A counting book.

Little Bear’s Colours (2002)

Little Bear teaches children about colors and patterns.

Little Bear’s Shapes (2003)

Little Bear teaches children about shapes.

Splash! (2003)

On a trip to the beach, Old Bear meets a baby seal named Splash.

Happy Birthday, Old Bear (2016)

The other stuffed animals throw a birthday party for Old Bear, but Elsie the Elephant gets carried away with the umbrella that she wants to give Old Bear as a present . . . literally!