Ruff

Old Bear and Friends

by Jane Hissey

No one has ever cared enough to have a birthday party for a woolly dog, until he is taken in by some other toys that give him not one, but seven parties

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 27, 1994

About the author

Recognized in both publishing and TV, Jane Hissey is best known for her children’s book series Old Bear & Friends. First published in 1986, it later became the inspiration for BAFTA award winning TV series Old Bear Stories.

As a child growing up in Norfolk, Jane developed a love for writing and drawing. Her holidays were spent wandering fields and lanes, conjuring up fantastical worlds with pencil and sketchbook. 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.

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. 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.

Her tales of adventure and discovery are both heartwarming and fun, captivating the imaginations of children and adults alike. Her illustrations are unique, using layers of colour pencil to build a more full & finely detailed finished image.

The Old Bear & Friends series has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide!

Reviews

[Kerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Hissey's book Little Bear Lost was one of my favourite books when I was young, and I still love revisiting it. Recently I've been on the lookout for her other books (thanks to Goodreads I now know she has many!) and reading them when I can.

Ruff was an absolute delight, and even though it's new to me, it had the feel of a long cherished book, perhaps because I love the characters so much. The artwork is beautiful and I find it heartwarming and calming.

I also discovered that on Jane Hissey's YouTube channel you can watch episodes of the animated show. I thoroughly enjoyed the first episode, and plan to watch them all. I think I might have watched it when I was little, but I'm not quite sure. It's charming and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys the books, especially young children.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really sweet story about a dog with no name who meets lots of other bears such as Old Bear, Little Bear and Bramwell Brown. The bears name the dog ‘Ruff’ and decide to celebrate each of the seven birthdays Ruff has missed out on. Each day of the week sees a different birthday celebration. 
The book is full of birthday traditions and games my daughter knows and loves, such as pass the parcel, musical statues and treasure hunts. Slightly longer than some other picture book stories, A really lovely book with all the classic Jane Hissey characters and It has a Heart-Warming Ending.

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a vague memory of reading Jane Hissey's books when I was a child. I remember coming across Old Bear, Bramwell Bear and Little Bear through the years and always loving the three of them and wanting them myself.
I find the stories somewhat timeless and the artwork wonderful.
The addition of Ruff in this story was cool, and the end was not really that surprising.
This was a super cute book and I would absolutely recommend it to kids.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neglected woolly dog is let into the house by Old Bear, and the other animals, and they soon discover that although he is seven years old he has never celebrated his birthday. So for the next seven days they give the woolly dog a party with presents, games, and cake. One the seventh day as the woolly dog prepares to leave, Old Bear, and friends give him the best surprise ever.

[Charlotte Gasson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book which I absolutely loved as a child. The use of toy animals as characters is something which I connected with. The illustrations are really beautiful and the story has a lovely ending!

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the old bear books, and this is just as lovely, my 2 year old daughter loved this book.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alissa loved the part where Ruff had 7 birthdays in a week and chose the games for his party.