Jolly Tall

Jolly Tall was written and illustrated by British author Jane Hissey and first published in 1990. The book is part of the beloved Old Bear and Friends series, which features a cast of toys living in an attic. Hissey, who used her own childhood toys as models for her hyper-realistic pencil and watercolor illustrations, created the series to capture the gentle, imaginative adventures of anthropomorphized nursery companions.

In this specific installment, the story centers on Jolly Tall, a giraffe toy who feels left out because he is too tall to fit inside the playhouse with the other characters. The narrative focuses on themes of inclusion and problem-solving, which became a hallmark of Hissey’s work. Upon its release, the book was well-received for its soft, nostalgic aesthetic and its ability to address the social anxieties common to early childhood through the lens of familiar toy characters.