Bear's First Christmas

A young bear, safely hibernating through his first winter in this rhyming holiday tale, is awakened by a faraway sound, soft and mysterious, and sets out through the snowy landscape to investigate. Coming across a series of animals in need of his aid along the way - a hungry crow with whom he shares his honey; a moose who needs help in cracking the ice in a nearby bog, in order to eat the weeds; a pheasant family whose nest has been destroyed by falling snow - the bear soon has companions, in his quest. When the animals do find the source of the mysterious sound - a cabin in the woods, in which a human family are celebrating Christmas by singing carols, around their decorated tree - they are caught up in the magic of the season, and, returning to the bear's snug lair, see it all around them...

Although I appreciated the message here - that the Christmas spirit is about sharing with one another, and that humble abodes are as fitting a locale for the season, as any other - and enjoyed the gentle, rhyming text, the real star of Bear's First Christmas, for me, was Jim LaMarche's beautiful acrylic and colored pencil artwork. The animals have a soft furry and feathery quality to them, that is very appealing, and the winter landscapes are lovely. It probably helps that I love wintry scenes! I particularly liked the image in which all the animals are gazing in the window at the Christmas tree - just adorable! All in all, a sweet little holiday read, one I would recommend to young animals lovers looking for seasonal stories. ( )

i love the illustration and its great for the season! ( )