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Bear Stays Up for Christmas Review
snuggled on his floor, Bear sleeps soundly with a great big snore...." Bear's friends are determined to keep Bear awake for Christmas! So they wake Bear up and have him help them find a Christmas tree, bake cakes, hang up stockings, and sing Christmas songs. Bear stays up -- by discovering that giving is one of the best Christmas presents! How a SURPRISE visit from someone very special gives Bear and his friends a Christmas to remember makes an enchanting holiday story for young readers. With Karma Wilson's memorable text and Jane Chapman's glowing illustrations, Bear Stays Up for Christmas is a book to cherish throughout the year. User Submitted Bear Stays Up for Christmas ReviewsNovember 14, 2008 Grows on you I did not like this book the first time I read through it. But the first time I read it to my son, he liked it and I liked it better than I had the first time through. He's had me read it to him several times now, and the book has really grown on me. It's a quiet little holiday tale with some very good illustrations (of the animals--Santa Claus looks a little odd) and it evokes a warm Christmas spirit. There's nothing groundbreaking or new here, but that's okay--for Christmas, a traditional little tale works best. I may look up more of Karma Wilson's "Bear" books, if my son keeps asking me to read this one! November 13, 2008 Adorable story! Very cute book. Love the illustrations, and the story is great. Basically, Bear is hibernating, but his animal friends wake him up so he won't miss Christmas this year. He has trouble staying awake, but his friends keep him up with preparations for the big day. On Christmas eve, the animal friends all fall asleep, and Bear stays awake to make Christmas presents for his friends as a surprise. But the real surprise is Santa's visit (Bear doesn't see him, though), and a nice gift Santa left for Bear. After Christmas, Bear goes back to sleep, quite content, as his friends slip away quietly. Cute rhyming story, very entertaining. We've enjoyed other "Bear" stories, and this one is just as cute as the others. Well done. November 7, 2008 Bear Stayed Up! "Bear Stays Up" is such a cute book. We first open with a bear who always misses Christmas while his woodland friends share their memories. Bear decides to stay up. We follow Bear while he struggles with sleep and then through to his excitement of his first real Christmas. The kids loved this book and we will definitely be reading this one over the holidays! It's cute, sweet and light hearted, a definite read and share with the kiddo's! October 30, 2008 cozy christmas story This is a smallish, hardcover, jacket-less version suitable for little kids - no jacket to tear, no big pages that are hard to turn and easy to rip. The story is heartwarmingly cute. It's told in rhyme similar (not identical) to Twas the Night Before Xmas style, like the earlier Bear stories - this time, the stanzas are occasionally punctuated by "But the bear stays up." Bear's natural urge is to hibernate, but the other woodland animals want him to join their Christmas fun. The animals wake Bear and he gamely drags himself through the day, carrying home a Xmas tree, nearly falling asleep while stringing popcorn, singing in the firelight, and by the end of Xmas eve, bear is joyously wide awake while it's the other animals who have fallen asleep. He plays Santa -- but so does Santa. In the end, "When all gifts are opened, / there's one last surprise. / Badger shows Bear / a quilt just his size." And to sleep Bear goes. A perfect snuggle-up read, warmly illustrated (big furry happy bear in glowing firelight in a cave) for younger kids (4-7ish) and even older ones will like it, though they won't admit it. October 29, 2008 A Fun Read with Cute Pictures I enjoyed the story of Bear and the friends who help keep him awake for Christmas. Although his friends finally doze off, Bear manages to stay awake all night and even wraps their presents. The photos are really cute, and I like the focus on friendship (even among animals that would not likely be friends in the wild). I agree with the author's recommended audience of 2-6 year olds. The pages are paper (not the sturdy cardboard of board books) so younger toddlers might tear or chew on them. The story is engaging with fun rhymes but a child older than 6 might like more of a plot. I plan to buy more copies as gifts and will also check out another book by the same author, Karma Wilson, and illustrator, Jane Chapman, entitled Mortimer's Christmas Manger. October 26, 2008 Too cute This book was a great read for my son and I. we both loved it. The length wasn't too short, nor too long where he lost interest. pictures were interesting and conveyed the story very well. Bear usually sleeps during Christmas but this year his friends want him to stay up. So, they drag him away from his cave and do all sorts of activities to keep him up, and he does. i thought the whole thing was adorable and i would definitely buy this book. Great for Christmas time. October 26, 2008 Tender, Engaging Wonderful story about friendship that will warm the hearts of young and old. The captivating illustrations are very engaging for young children and the rhyming text will encourage young ones to predict and participate. Definitely a thumbs up--great holiday gift for children 2-9 or teachers of grades PreK-3. October 25, 2008 Sweet Xmas Story with delightful illustrations! I love holiday and seasonal books I can share with my children. Not only are they a great excuse for snuggling for a few moments of quiet time with them, but they usually give me a way to teach them a little, either about our natural world, or about how to be in the world. This tale, with its darling illustrations (with sweet little details that will keep your child coming back for reads on their own, even if they can' "read"), is a book that has it all. Not only does have a wonderful core story relating to friendship, (and a focus on Christmas that is not about the presents, but about the giving and time together), but it can also be used to talk about hibernating and seasonal changes for animals. I believe this author/illustrator duo has a series of these "Bear" books, but this is the first I've shared with my two-- and they both (ages 5 & 7) were completely in love with it! This will be on the most requested bed time stories list for the next 2 months at least! October 25, 2008 Not as good as her others but was still enjoyed by kids Compared to the Bear Wants More and the Bear Snores On, I didn't think this book was as good. However, my three and half year old liked it alot, and that is what really counts. October 24, 2008 Charming and innocuous This is one of a series of books about the eponymous "Bear". In this volume, his forest friends wake him from hibernation so he won't miss their Christmas celebrations. (It's implied that he's never been able to stay away through Christmas before.) It appealed to me, as I am also a bear who has trouble staying up late. The story is told in four-line verses, punctuated with "... and the bear stays" up" each time he defeats the urge to fall asleep. The drawings are simple and mercifully un-cute, with the animals anthropomorphized only as much as necessary (standing on two legs when necessary, simple facial expressions). A "great" children's book? No. One that adults can enjoy with the kids, without squirming? Definitely. For more Bear Stays Up for Christmas reviews click here.
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