Childhood Book

[MegElizabethMum]

I’m looking for a children’s anthology from the late ’60s or early ’70s. It was a hardback, likely dark navy or green. I vividly remember a page with different flavored, colorful ice cream hills that had characters sledging and skiing like it was snow. One story had the Bruin Bears, where they brought home colored stones from rock pools, which faded once dry. There was also a Big Bad Wolf story—so I called it my ‘Chinny Chin Chin’ book. Does anyone recognize this collection? I’m 57 years old now and would’ve had this book between the ages of 3-5yrs old.

Could this have been one of the Jack and Jill Book annuals, or a Jack and Jill Holiday Special? Tiger Tim and the Bruin Boys (a group of animal children, including at least one bear cub) were syndicated characters in various annuals from Rainbow earlier in the 20th century, to Jack and Jill annuals in the 60s/70s/80s.

Thanks for the suggestion. Although I kinda remember Tiger Tim etc I don’t feel it was one of those annuals. I’m pulled more towards the Teddy Bear Annuals. If I can connect with someone who remembers the ice cream flavoured hills/slopes and a bear who collected ‘jewels’ (pebbles) from a rock pool which then lost the colour once home and they’d dried out, then I’d be onto a winner.

Got it. It's the Teddy Bear annual 1972 and the story is called Teddy Bear and the Magic Pebbles. There's a copy for sale on Etsy, loads of photos of the inside pages including a double page spread showing this particular story, plus another double page spread of 'a visit to the ice cream mountains'.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1591508246/teddy-bears-hardback-vintage-childrens

Amazing work @TheBookShelf!

Wow, yes this is the one! I’d seen it on various sites but it hadn’t shown those particular pages and I’d not recognised the front cover. Safe to say this has now been purchased on Etsy. Thank you so much for your help, it’s been driving me crazy that I’ve not been able to find it and a friend suggested joining mumsnet. So emotional and can’t wait for it to arrive. Thank you 🙏🏻

So pleased I was able to identify this one for you! I think my sister had this annual as a child, so it sounded familiar. Hope you enjoy revisiting a childhood favourite!

I love the way it was owned originally by John Wallace who had carefully written in the owner’s page that he was aged 7 and an half and he had blonde hair and blue eyes. Bless him.

Lovely book.