The Bear Who Didn’t Want to Miss Christmas

The animals of Four Seasons Wood are eagerly awaiting Christmas—except Little Bear, who always hibernates through the holiday. “What’s the point in writing a letter to Santa Claus when he’ll go straight past my door without leaving a present?” he asks gloomily. Swooping into action, Little Bear’s friends arrange a surprise “Almost Christmas” celebration that cheers him right up. With only one or two lines each, the many characters (seven named animals, plus a bird that hangs around) don’t get much personality, though their eagerness to bring the holidays to Little Bear is touching. Tibi’s storytelling is a bit stuffy and demure (“That night in Four Seasons Wood a very happy Little Bear celebrated his first ever Christmas with all his special friends”), but Lambert’s retro art, colored in pale blues and yellows, brings real style to the setting and cast. Up to age 5. (Oct.)