Bear Stays Up For Christmas    by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman Order:  USA  Can Simon & Schuster, 2011 (2004) Hardcover     Reviewed by Bob Walch First released in 2004, this holiday classic has been reissued as a board book. As the story opens, it is the day before Christmas and Bear is sound asleep in his cave. But not for long! Mouse, Mole, Raven and the rest of Bear's buddies wake him up so that he won't again sleep through Christmas. The best way of keeping Bear from snoozing off again is to keep him busy, so his friends take him along when they go looking for a Christmas tree. Of course, Bear gets to carry the tree home on his back. Once the tree is set up in the lair, Bear, Raven and Wren begin to decorate it. Then it is time to set out the stockings so Santa will find them. While the other animals fall asleep, Bear stays awake and wraps presents for everyone. When morning arrives Bear is very proud of himself. He tells everyone, 'I stayed up just to share with you all.' Of course, once all the gifts are unwrapped one of the holiday revelers snuggles up tight and mutters, 'Good night...' I'm sure you can guess who that is! With its thick pages, this finger friendly picture book enables preschoolers to turn the pages as you read this wonderful holiday story aloud. You can't help but love this cute bear and his friends and this is one of the most delightful stories in the series. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews