Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear (First Time Books) November 29, 2008
Anna M. Ligtenberg (Chicago)
ISBN 0394968808 - Another Christmas book that starts right around Thanksgiving, a small negative in my opinion, but I admit to laughing out loud that Mama Bear agreed with me on the first page, saying "It seems to me that the Christmas season starts earlier every year." I'm reading my way through piles of Christmas books right now and was happy to find the Berenstain Bears in the pile.
Two days after Thanksgiving, the Bear family - like so many others - hits the mall. The children, in response to too many TV toy commercials, seem nearly giddy and beg to be able to return when Santa Bear visits the mall. At home, they make their lists; Brother's is short and neat, but Sister's is long and messy and, worse, makes her appear very greedy. Brother explains to her why this is wrong and she re-writes it before the big day arrives. The family visits Santa, shops and prepares for the holiday and Papa Bear is there to answer Sister's questions about Santa - and to teach her that Santa has the best job in the world, because Christmas is all about the joy of giving, a lesson that is confirmed for her on Christmas morning.
With a simple story teaching more than one nice message, the Berenstains manage to tell a Christmas tale without relying on the re-telling of a Christmas classic; this is a great thing, in my opinion, because there really are just so many tellings of the classics that any one parent can stand. The text is fairly simple, appropriate for the 4-8 age group, and the illustrations are standard Berenstains, bright and colorful with lots of cute little "bear" details in them. Little ones won't even realize that they're learning.
- AnnaLovesBooks
Santa is Ok July 24, 2007
M. Vrieze
Sister and Brother are afraid to meet Santa but soon find out Santa is ok.
 Santa Bear Has the Best Job in the World July 12, 2007
Janet Boyer (Pennsylvania)
"...Christmas is such a special time that very special, almost magical things can happen. And the most magical thing of all is Santa Bear: I'd say he has the best job in the whole world, because the joy of giving is what Christmas is all about." -- From the book
This lovely book by Stan and Jan Berenstain follows the Bear family as they navigate through the trappings of Christmas: making lists, feeling the tug of store-front windows loaded with toys, kids worrying if they've been good enough to merit Santa Bear's visit, the spirit of giving and more.
I love that this book doesn't demonize wanting things (like The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies), and shows kids deciding to spend their own money to buy their parents special gifts from Christmas.
One adorable scene in this book is when the kids encounter a bell ringing Santa outside the mall, standing in front of a pot that says "Help the Needy". Paper Bear explains "His job is to collect money to help the needy--birds who need seed, squirrels who didn't put enough aside for the winter".
Especially good for Christmastime, The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear is a heartwarming story with an uplifting message that children will no doubt enjoy.
Love this book! October 11, 2006
carolyn (Canal Winchester, OH)
This is such a cute book! This one has the Bear family going to the mall two days after Thanksgiving and finding that it's all decorated for Christmas. Mama thinks it's too early, but Papa thinks that the kids will be fine and they will be able to handle it. Then the next page shows the cubs jumping up and down in front of the toy store way too excited for the season to begin. Sister has a ton of questions about Santa, like how does he get down our skinny chimney, how does he drive his sleigh when there's no snow, etc., etc. Just the same questions just about every child has at one time or another. It also goes through how hard it is to wait until Christmas Eve and all the things a kid goes through waiting for that wonderful event. Lastly, it shows the cubs buying thoughtful gifts for their parents and being very excited when they open them on Christmas. The book closes with Papa explaining all of Sister's questions on Christmas Eve while they are looking up into the sky, waiting for Santa Bear to come. Then, it starts to snow and blankets the entire town with Christmas snow.
This is such a great little book - it shows all the joys of Christmas through a child's eyes but also teaches about giving. When Sister says that Santa Bear has the hardest job in the world making all those presents and then delivering them, Papa counters with the fact that he thinks that Santa Bear has the best job because he gets to give all those gifts to so many cubs. That's the last sentence in the book too - when the cubs give their gifts to their parents, they realize that Papa was right - Santa Bear did have the best job in the whole world because it feels better to give than to receive.
We LOVE this book in our house and I just can't recommend it enough!
beautiful book December 28, 2005
I got this book as a christmas present in 1990 and really enjoyed it. All the toys looked exciting to me and I really loved the illustrations.
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