Little Bear's Christmas

Determined to find out what Father Christmas looks like, a little bear sleeps as much as he can before winter hibernation, wakes himself up with his mother's alarm clock, and sets out into the snowy countryside.

PreSchool-Grade 1-Little Bear wants to see Santa Claus, so he borrows his mother's alarm clock and sets it to wake him at Christmas. He eagerly heads outside to have a look around, gets lost, and is then found by Santa, who returns him home after a ride in his sleigh. Santa leaves behind honey cakes and chocolate hearts and promises to leave gifts in the future as long as Little Bear is sleeping as he should be. Young listeners will enjoy the charming watercolor illustrations; however, they may well be disappointed by the wordy, uninvolving story.-L.F.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This cozy German import is a bit long-winded, but brims with charm. "Sensible people, like us bears, go to bed and stay there until the warm spring arrives," Mrs. Bear tells her son, who nevertheless secretly sets his alarm for Christmas. Little Bear then gets lost in the snowy wood, but not to worry, Father Christmas is there to rescue him. Scharff-Kniemeyer embroiders the tale with piquant detail, from a rough-hewn log armchair piled with plump cushions to a crow sporting a tiny woolen cap. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A young bear cub, Bertie, decides he wants to stay up for Christmas when his non-hibernating friends regale him with tales of snow, honey cakes, and a white-bearded man with gifts. After devising a plan in which he attempts to sleep as much as possible prior to the change of seasons (much to his unsuspecting mother's bafflement) and with the aid of Mrs. Bear's alarm clock, Bertie finds himself awakened in the midst of winter. After a sudden snow squall causes him to lose his way in the forest, Bertie is rescued and returned home by a kindly old man in a sled. Bertie reluctantly acknowledges that all bears must hibernate in winter, and Santa promises that he will stop by the bear household next year. Landa and Scharff-Kniemeyer depict a child's sense of discovery through Bertie, who dances among the snowflakes and slowly realizes that he is riding with Santa himself. The colorful illustrations feature a winsome blend of tenderness, humor, and keen appreciation for a child's boundless curiosity. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Teased by his forest friends for never having experienced Christmas, Bertie the bear is determined to see Santa. He decides to sleep as much as he can before winter hibernation and wake himself up in time to see the man in the red suit. Having set his mother's alarm, he awakens to a snowy world, which he eagerly explores. Soon, however, he's lost. He's eventually rescued and given a lift home in a flying sleigh by a strange man wrapped in a brown blanket. Not until the man throws off his covering does Bertie recognize him. In the spring, the little bear's mom is surprised to see wrapped Christmas presents and to learn of her son's adventures. The gentle text and cozy watercolors capture a child's yearning to see the "jolly old elf" in the flesh. Shelley Townsend-Hudson