Little Charley Bear is an animated show on Cbeebies. It features a little bear who goes on adventures and is very popular with pre-schoolers. To accompany the show, Charley Bear merchandise can also be bought including toys and teddies.

@Charley Bear Soft Toy@

This soft toy range was created by Vivid Imaginations. The soft toys can be bought in various sizes from a tiny, baby toy up to a dancing and speaking toy. My review discusses the normal, medium sized Charley Bear which is a simple soft toy.

Charley Bear stands 16inches in height and is a plush bear. He is suitable for children over the age of 2 and does not require any batteries. Charley Bear cannot stand up on his own and is designed to be sat or a surface or cuddled. He is the official Charley Bear and therefore has all the relevant, distinct features just like you would see on the television.

Charley Bear is mainly brown but features a cream face with black nose and eyes, cream paws and a cream belly. His creamy belly has a huge paw print on it which is exclusive to Charley Bear.

@Price@

Charley Bear costs £20 normally in Tesco though is currently reduced to £10. He is also available from Amazon priced at £18.83. The talking Charley Bear is actually cheaper on Amazon priced at £14.39.

@Our Thoughts@

I bought this Little Charley Bear from the Tesco website. Basically I had used my clubcard vouchers to double up £5.00 to £10.00 and wanted to get something delivered to my local store to save on delivery. I wouldn't have paid £20.00 for this as no teddy is worth that amount but I as my son loves Charley Bear, I thought he would appreciate this.

I bought it about 6weeks ago and it was meant for Christmas. My son had spotted it when I arrived home and ended up falling in love with it so I would have felt awful if I had kept it by for Christmas! Charley came simply wrapped in a clear bag. He is a good size and very lightweight. Charley has barely left Boos side since he got it and he insists on taking it everywhere except nursery.

@Looking Plush!@

The features on this bear are very much like how you would see him on the show. Charley is well made and the stitching is excellent and not even visible. He has a lovely, round tummy and plump head which makes him very cuddly and easy to hang on to when out and about. His arms and legs are quite flimsy and I often have to remind Boo to be gentle with him as they aren't as padded as the rest of his body! He had textured paws and his arms and legs are flexible.

The fur on Charley Bear is exceptionally soft and fluffy and he is very warm to cuddle. It is recommended that you do not allow children under 16months to get hold of Charley as the fur can molt. We haven't found any strays of fur lying around though he is starting to look a little less "prim and proper" and a tad messy like when you have bed head! He is surface clean only and if he gets dirty, it doesn't show well because of his less than vibrant colour. I give him a wipe down with a damp cloth and leave him to dry and he looks fine afterwards.

It is worth noting that things "stick" to his fur rather well which can be very annoying. When I finally got him off Boo to review him, he had a bit of Rice Crispie bar stuck to his paw which made it very sticky! When my son went for his jabs recently, Charley Bear had his too. The lady gave him a plaster and that plastic is still stuck on his little arm as I cannot get the darn thing off! Luckily the patch that Boo would on him came off ok.

I wouldn't say Charley Bear has much in the way of fun or educational value is more of a comforting teddy to take to bed and drag out and about. Boo has conversations with him and does engage in role play with Charley Bear and the other teddies in Boos gang. He cannot do much else other than stimulate Boos imagination in role play and he gets very excited when the advert for Charley Bear comes on the television. If Boo is upset or tired, Charley Bear is there for extra cuddles when he gets bored of Mummy and Daddy.

@Conclusion@

£10 if still a bit expensive but Charley Bear was clubcard vouchers well spent! He has given my son so much happiness and therefore I can recommend him. Other than the molting fur issue, this teddy would be ideal for a toddler. He does have hard eyes but they are secured well. Charley has lots of soft textures and is simply adorable!

Thanks for reading x

PS Originally wrote for ciao in December 2011. My son still adores his bear!