Six more books in this countdown to Christmas and today I am sharing a sweet book about friendship and celebration. A story about a bear and his friends who don’t want to let him sleep through Christmas. One in the series of books about Bear, here is Bear Stays Up by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman, 2004.
It is Christmas Eve and Bear is snoring on his floor. But his friends are determined to not let him miss Christmas. Bear wakes up and helps his friends get a tree, decorate, sing and wait for Christmas day. Every time Bear starts to fall asleep, his friends help him stay up. But then, all the festivities are too much for his friends and Bear remains the one up to prepare special surprises for his friends.
This book is quite sweet and simple. The friendship between the animals is adorable and endearing. And I love all the traditional Christmasy things the animals do to get ready for the holiday! And my girls love the unannounced appearance of Santa in the illustrations. It is a sweet secret to readers.
I am not well acquainted with the Bear books, but am familiar enough to recognize them. I think this book does fairly well on its own, though I imagine it is a bit more endearing if you love the rest. I am however getting more acquainted with Karma Wilson’s writing and I enjoy her rhymes and patterns in the text.
I consider this a nice addition to Christmas books as it is fun to read, lovely to look at, and has thoughtful sentiments about giving to your friends.
Join me on the last few days of our 25 Days of Picture Books for Christmas 2015!
Three Books a Night 