Bear Stays Up for Christmas

Wilson, Karma.  Bear Stays Up for Christmas. Illustrated by Jane Chapman. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2004.

Bear Stays Up

Everyone knows that bears hibernate for the winter. Does that mean that they miss Christmas? Bear has some good friends who don’t want him to miss Christmas so they wake him up on Christmas Eve. Bear participates in all the Christmas Eve festivities even to the point of staying up overnight while his friends sleep. The phrase “but he still stays up” is repeated on almost every page making this a good book to encourage listener participation. 

Karma Wilson knows how to tell a good story.  Telling a Christmas story from the perspective of a bear who should be hibernating is a unique idea and one she does well. Jane Chapman used acrylic paints for her illustrations in this picture book. The illustrations are brightly colored and extend the story.

Bear Stays Up for Christmas (The Bear Books) is another title that would be a good addition to your Christmas collection. Thanks for using my Amazon link which helps support this children’s literature blog.