Old Bear
By Jane Hissey
Old Bear by Jane Hissey (1986) tells the story of four friends, Bramwell, Little Bear, Duck and Rabbit who try to rescue their friend Old Bear who was locked away in the attic many years ago. They don’t have access to a ladder therefore they have to come up with a solution to their problem so they will be able to save Old Bear from being locked away in the attic forever.
This narrative follows the standard format as described in Gamble &Yates (2008) using an exposition, complication, climax and finally a resolution. The exposition introduces the characters and establishes the setting. The complication that follows the exposition is the realization that one of their friends is missing. There is then a significant build up to the climax, as the group of friends make several attempts to reach Old Bear in the attic, although unfortunately they fail. These attempts include using building blocks to reach the attic, making a human pyramid, jumping on the bed and climbing the plant. Finally the friends have the idea of using a toy plan to fly up to the attic to rescue Old Bear. This point is the climax as the suspense is at its highest, as it is their last opportunity to save their friend. The resolution is when they finally reach the attic and are able to find Old Bear. They use blanket parachutes to escape from the attic and return to the bedroom. The coda of this text, which is the overall moral to the story is the importance of friendship.
An important element to this text is the illustrations as they play a crucial role in the story. These beautifully delicate drawings in the text are extremely realistic and use stunning, gentle colorings that complement the text. The illustrations truly help the reader visualize the story as they accurately depict the events described in the text, and still allow small gaps for the reader to fill with their own imagination. This is an essential aspect to pictures books as the text and illustrations must be both cohesive and single entities that each give the book depth.
This is a lovely story that explores the idea of ‘what toys do when no one’s around’. This is an intriguing concept for young children that engages them and allows them to use their imagination. This story could be a great teacher resource to use as a mentor text in order to allow students to construct their own narratives about what their own toys get up to while they are at school.
References:
Gamble, N. & Yates, S. 2008, ‘Narrative: Narration and Structure’ in Exploring Children’s Literature, SAGE, pp. 45-77.
Sally you seem to have chosen to review so many of my favourite books as a child! I had a Jane Hissey collection as a child and as you say the pictures are so unique and beautiful, I remember them well. The idea of what toys get up to has always been an interesting plot for children, as shown by the popularity of movies like Toy Story. So I think you are right, this would be a great way to engage students in a creative writing task.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a wonderful series of books isn't it! I agree with you about the popularity of 'what toys get up to' and Toy Story is a great connection that you have made. I think it is a great way to connect literacy with an element of children’s everyday lives (their beloved toys) which can create more meaningful experiences.
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