Title: Bear Stays Up For Christmas
Author: Karma Wilson
Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Published: Scholastic, 2004

It’s official: I can start playing carols on the radio all day long! I can leave the Christmas tree lights on from dawn till dusk! I can force my family to join me in a carol sing. A pioneer carol sing, no less! Yes, it’s finally December and I am no longer considered crazy for my love of Christmas. Hooray!

To get the girls into the spirit of the season, I’ve been reading a bunch of really great picture books. Today’s is Bear Stays Up For Christmas and it’s adorable.

Bear has starred in other books as well, but this is definitely my favourite one. The basic premise is that Bear (sometimes called “the bear” and sometimes simply “Bear”) never stays up for Christmas. He’s always busy hibernating…until this year! His friends are bound and determined to keep him up and show him what Christmas is all about. So, despite his exhaustion, Bear sticks it out for his friends. They get a tree and decorate it. They have tasty foods. They sing carols. And then, after all his friends have dozed off, Bear makes some gifts of his own (and Santa shows up, unbeknownst to Bear).

The book is all in rhyme, which you know I love, and the art is simply fantastic.

The message is very sweet: it’s worth making sacrifices/staying up (when you should be hibernating) just to be with your friends. And Bear’s friends clearly adore him and just want to have him around for the big day. It’s all about love, friendship, and the real meaning of Christmas: being together with the people we love.

Mama’s review: 5/5 Christmas trees
Vivi’s review: “I really like the rabbit!”
Lily’s review:  “This book is great!”