The Bears' Christmas

No matter how many times I read this book, it still makes me laugh. Perhaps, being a Papa Bear myself, I should feel a bit defensive about Papa Bear's repeated failures. But despite these, I think he is doing okay for his family. Look at that nice tree they live in! This is truly a Christmas classic.

Papa Bear wants to show Brother Bear how to use his new Christmas presents: sled, skates, and skis. But the blundering old bear ends up showing how not to do it again and again.

It's a stock formula for the Berenstain books, but I still get a kick out of Papa's floundering slapstick.

I remember this book with all of the fun and the wonder of a punch in the face (no, not really, but I felt like saying that at the opening to this commentary). Once again we have Papa Bear attempting to show off to his kid how wonderful he is and then pretty much making a complete mess of the situation which results in his kid, once again, bailing him out, but also under the strange belief that he has actually learnt something.
This book was obviously written in the northern hemisphere, or at least in the regions where it actually snows for Christmas (because down here – or should I say up here – in the Antipodes we never see snow at Christmas, so we are forever dreaming of a white Christmas – actually, come to think of it, I show more don't think I have ever dreamt of a white Christmas because to me Christmas is about hot days and swims at the beach and barbecues in the back yard, as well as going to church and midnight mass).
In a way the book's only connection with Christmas is the gifts that little bear gets and it then goes into the familiar parts of where Papa Bear tries to teach little baby bear something and fails abysmally. The fact that some people hate this aspect of the book (and one person has thrown his Berenstain Bears books out in disgust, though I wonder if the accident prone buffoon of a father is a little too close to home for him) makes me feel comfortable when people criticise my commentary of Mister Dog. show less

This is so old school Brother bear doesn't even have a sister yet. The only thing that really bothers me is when Papa Bear falls under some ice in a frozen lake. I find it terrifying to suggest that it's easy to get out of that situation without freezing to death while drowning. Merry Christmas!

Fun to read for the old timey feel of this book. Sister bear is not born yet?! Brother bear gets skis and skates and a sled for Christmas and Papa bear insists on teaching brother how to use them all. Disaster is everywhere! I might enjoy this one more then my daughter - she seems to enjoy the more modern family the bears have evolved into.

This one of the earlier Berenstain Bear books. As such, the book lacks a moral message (other than, perhaps, "Sometimes Dad is a bungler") and is shorter than the ones they write nowadays, with rhymes and easier words. More humor, too. If you're only accustomed to the paperbacks that they're writing now, you'll also be surprised at how the bears look - they have claws and are a lot less "cuddly" than the bears are nowadays.

Some of these words are a little difficult for EARLY early readers - "figure sixteen", "practice", "wrapped" - but if your kid is reading near you it's easy enough to help them on those few words.

This is a little more lengthy for a bedtime story, but really does suit the holiday season. I was amused by the father's antics. He also realized that it wasn't quite as fun as it was when he was young.
Cheers and Happy Holiday Reading kids!