All the characters are so softly drawn, and look so realistic that it seems as if you can touch Little Bear's curly fur, or feel the slightly worn body of Old Bear. The illustrations are, of course, delightful. You'll be relieved to hear that they do such a good job that when Mother comes to look around the toy room she doesn't find anyone worn out to get rid of! In order to avoid being sold, all the toys learn to sew so that they can fix any broken arms or hanging off ears, and they make themselves some nice new clothes. We also see some trouble in the bed when it seems that 4 cuddlies are just too many for one bed and so alternative sleeping arrangements must be found! I particularly enjoyed the story about the jumble sale, when all the toys are in a panic about who might be sent off to the sale. There's a bear who gets a bit scared when the children in his house carve a scary pumpkin, so he carves his own pumpkin with a friendly smiling bear face. There's a lot of variety in this book, with plenty of stories about characters we already know and love, but also lots of new cuddly toys to read about. I just curled up in a blanket to read this latest collection of stories, and when I'd finished my nine year old daughter sneaked over and took the book upstairs to read it by herself! Here we have twenty one stories and poems, all fairly short so useful when you need a quick bedtime! All your old favourites are here - Bramwell Bear and Duck and Little Bear, just waiting for you to snuggle up and read about their latest adventures. I'm not sure you ever grow out of Old Bear stories. Summary: Old, favourite, familiar characters in a set of charming short stories, perfect for a quick bedtime read.

Jane hissey book collection