Fred Bear - A Very Threadbare Bear | Austin Macauley Publishers

Fred Bear is a shabby old teddy bear… his stitches are loose and his stuffing is falling out. It has been a long time since Fred was in a family home and he so wants to be cuddled and loved again. As the Christmas jumble sale begins, Fred feels a shiver of excitement run down the patches of fur on his back. Could this be the day he’d been longing for? Would someone kind buy him and take him to their home? However, as all the other toys at the jumble sale appear more popular and are quickly snapped up by passing children, it seems Fred’s destiny is to be returned to the dark cupboard from where he came. Is Fred’s heart’s desire never to be?

A delightful short story with many endearing characters to enchant and warm your heart.

Since leaving education, Flick Jones worked as a secretary and PA, predominantly for Lloyds Bank and latterly at Cardiff City Council.

Her writing career began as a self-published author of children’s books. Titles include, Woofaway – A Very Busy Dog, Pretty Nasty and The Bike. In 2017, she published The Foundling Fairy and Does Butter Fly?

Flick lives in a suburb of Cardiff with her partner, Peter. In fact, she jokes, it was Peter's mother who gave her the writing bug… a bug she was delighted to catch!

Customer Reviews

5.0

4 reviews

Becky Hoare

We were kindly gifted Fred Bear last year but due to personal reasons, I wasn't able to review it until now. Upon this reading, our son interacted differently with the book. As a 4 year old going on 5, he was able to notice things that I'm not sure he previously noticed. I would recommend the book from 2/3 years old but it's a story that can last years with children of different ages taking something from it Fred Bear revolves around a forgotten threadbare bear that longs to be rehomed. Set during a Christmas jumble sale, it is the perfect treat for Christmas! The magic of the fairy on top of the tree intertwined with the theme of loneliness meant that this book was not only a treat for the Christmas senses but also taught children about different feelings and caring for their toys. Perhaps if I was really portraying the wholesome content of the story then I can also mention how toys are shown to be upcycled rather than bought new It is the book that keeps on giving and whilst it looks quite hefty, it didn't feel that way! Would definitely recommend Fred Bear to purchase and with Christmas around the corner, now is the perfect time!
Grace and Aria Smith

I read Fred Bear to Aria, my 4-year-old daughter, over two nights. She loves a bedtime story! We both really enjoyed it. In fact, she asked me to read it again. I would thoroughly recommend this book to friends and family with young children.
Linda Rowe

“My granddaughter really loved the story of Fred Bear. She wanted her mummy to read the story to her first and she said it was a good story.
I read the book and particularly liked the comment that ‘Garbie is a few silicon chips short of a megabyte.’ It made me chuckle.
Probably lost on my six-year-old granddaughter, but I liked it. I also liked the ‘What the Words Mean’ section at the back.
My granddaughter is currently struggling to read, but she is very inquisitive and often asks me what certain words I use mean.
My granddaughter loves her teddy bears (she has a lot!) so the storyline held her interest, especially as Fred Bear got to go to a lovely little girl.”
Beverley Massaro

We bought this book for our granddaughter. A heartfelt book of being loved and wanted. Such lovely writing.. and as grandparents we loved giving and reading this to our granddaughter. We have bought other books by flick jones as they are written so lovingly and have an understanding of a child’s mind.
We look forward to other books in the future...

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