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The Forgotten Bear
The Forgotten Bear
- GenresChildrensPicture Books
24 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1968
About the author
Molly Brett
45 books11 followersMolly (Mary Elizabeth) Brett was an English illustrator and children's author. She grew up in Surrey, Great Britain, [Croydon Registration District] surrounded by animals and nature.
Her mother, Mary Gould Brett, was a respected animal painter who encouraged her daughter to paint from life, and this is reflected in Molly's gift for making her animals look thoroughly naturalistic while giving them human characteristics and activities.
Molly began her art training with a correspondence course in illustration, followed by formal instruction at Press Art School and the Guildford Art School. It was at Guildford that she met Margaret Tarrant (also destined to attain substantial fame as an illustrator), who soon became a close friend and lived with her in Cornwall.
She began her career by illustrating weekly papers for children. One of her earliest commissions was to illustrate stories by Enid Blyton.
Inspired by this, she went on to write and illustrate 21 books of her own for the Medici Society of London, with whom she was associated for 60 years. Medici has published over 500 of her paintings as postcards, greeting cards and prints.
Molly Brett's work has enchanted generations of children with its beautifully drawn details, subtle colours and magical atmosphere. Her work follows in the tradition of other twentieth-century "dressed animal" illustrators such as Beatrix Potter, Margaret Tempest, Racey Helps, and others.
Footnote: The actual date of Molly Brett's death is uncertain but she died in the second quarter of 1990 so April 1 has been included for completeness.
Her mother, Mary Gould Brett, was a respected animal painter who encouraged her daughter to paint from life, and this is reflected in Molly's gift for making her animals look thoroughly naturalistic while giving them human characteristics and activities.
Molly began her art training with a correspondence course in illustration, followed by formal instruction at Press Art School and the Guildford Art School. It was at Guildford that she met Margaret Tarrant (also destined to attain substantial fame as an illustrator), who soon became a close friend and lived with her in Cornwall.
She began her career by illustrating weekly papers for children. One of her earliest commissions was to illustrate stories by Enid Blyton.
Inspired by this, she went on to write and illustrate 21 books of her own for the Medici Society of London, with whom she was associated for 60 years. Medici has published over 500 of her paintings as postcards, greeting cards and prints.
Molly Brett's work has enchanted generations of children with its beautifully drawn details, subtle colours and magical atmosphere. Her work follows in the tradition of other twentieth-century "dressed animal" illustrators such as Beatrix Potter, Margaret Tempest, Racey Helps, and others.
Footnote: The actual date of Molly Brett's death is uncertain but she died in the second quarter of 1990 so April 1 has been included for completeness.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 8, 2021
My GRs friend, Catholic Mum, reviewed Midget and the Pet Shop saying how much she liked Medici Books. Although I did not have any luck with finding that particular book, I found a few others by the same author, Molly Brett and read The Forgotten Bear last evening.
If you like those old-fashioned (published 1968) sort of homey books where animated animals have little adventures when humans aren't looking, you will enjoy this! Buffie the one-eyed, teddy bear, with holes in his paws has been abandoned up in the attic, a relic of childhood's better days. He is quite fond of his only fellow companions, the mice, until they request some of his stuffing for a nest. Then he decides his current residence is no longer safe. It is necessary to vacate the attic and Buffie is off!
Each two-spread page of this charming tale offers one side of text and another of a colorfully detailed picture to augment the events described. It would make for a fun read-aloud for parents and/or grandparents. I never got to read this in my own childhood or to my own children, but maybe, hopefully, someday soon...
If you like those old-fashioned (published 1968) sort of homey books where animated animals have little adventures when humans aren't looking, you will enjoy this! Buffie the one-eyed, teddy bear, with holes in his paws has been abandoned up in the attic, a relic of childhood's better days. He is quite fond of his only fellow companions, the mice, until they request some of his stuffing for a nest. Then he decides his current residence is no longer safe. It is necessary to vacate the attic and Buffie is off!
Each two-spread page of this charming tale offers one side of text and another of a colorfully detailed picture to augment the events described. It would make for a fun read-aloud for parents and/or grandparents. I never got to read this in my own childhood or to my own children, but maybe, hopefully, someday soon...
August 30, 2019
Old fashioned, lovely illustrations about a well-loved but forgotten stuffed bear and the adventures he gets up to.
September 3, 2016
Although I liked the story and pictures well enough, I found this to be poorly written--lacking flow of language. Several pages also end mid-sentence in a way that takes away from the story rather than add to.
July 17, 2014
Buffie the dragon-slaying picnic-having eyepatch-wearing attic-escaping treehouse-building huggable, stuffable lovable beary bear!!! I love this book too much.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews