Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Although he's decked the halls, Bear is bah-humbug on presents. Mouse brightly persists; Bear stubbornly resists; and so it goes until Bear begins reciting "A Visit from St. Nicholas." The stockings are hung by the chimney with care--proof that the Scrooge routine is (mostly) an act. This odd couple's banter is evergreen in their sixth book. Cozy illustrations are full of good cheer.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Bear is hosting his first-ever Christmas party in this addition to the Bear and Mouse series, but while he believes that -Christmas pickles- are the most important element of a successful party, Mouse is preoccupied with presents for some reason. Tension builds as Mouse keeps darting off, trying to find the gift he believes must be hidden somewhere in Bear-s house, testing his friend-s patience. Both text and art will draw smiles as this awkward holiday gathering unfolds, and especially as Bear-s frosty temperament begins to thaw. And, yes, presents-not just pickles-are eventually exchanged. Ages 5-9. Author-s agent: Edward Necarsulmer IV, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary. (Sept.)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In their sixth adventure together, best friends Bear and Mouse celebrate Christmas with pickles, a poem, and presents. Bear invites Mouse to their first-ever Christmas party, although Bear knows only what he's read about how Christmas is celebrated. He announces that eating pickles and "reading a long and difficult poem" ("A Visit from St. Nicholas") should be enough for their party, but Mouse is most interested in the possibility of presents. Grumpy Bear pretends to reject the notion: "Monstrous assumption!" Ever hopeful, Mouse repeatedly escapes from Bear to search the house for gifts, finally locating his Christmas stocking with a tiny telescope tucked inside. Taking the telescope outside to view the night sky leads to a search for Bear's present, a huge sled that Mouse has somehow hidden under a snow-covered tree. In a satisfying conclusion, Bear and Mouse gleefully sled down a hill "under the shining stars of Christmas." Bear's curmudgeonly personality and Mouse's cheerful antics provide droll humor conveyed with polished comedic pacing and clever phrases such as "a mournful bite of pickle." Soft-focus illustrations in watercolor, ink, and gouache are particularly strong in the subtle expressions on the animal faces as well as in meeting the design challenge of including a huge bear and a tiny mouse in one environment. Another appealing adventure for this delightful duo, just right for a Christmas Eve storytime, perhaps enjoyed with a plate of pickles. (Picture book. 3-7)

School Library Journal (Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

PreS-Gr 1Becker and Denton team up once again for a holiday episode that sweetly acknowledges how the friendship between Bear and Mouse has grown from their first meeting in A Visitor for Bear and the multiple titles since then. The watercolor, ink, and gouache illustrations remain consistent, as does Bear's and Mouse's routines. Bear, committed to propriety and insistent that Christmas be all about poetry and pickles, is repeatedly foiled by the "small and gray and bright-eyed" Mouse and his ability to disappear from a room, this time to look for presents. He is as effervescent as ever and only subdued when Bear seems unlikely to waver from his oratory plans. However, Bear, doubling down on his curmudgeonly ways with comically pointed and increasingly louder hints to Mouse, makes the Christmas magic reveal even more of a surprise. VERDICT The warm and playful use of the familiar story structure and characters make for a read-aloud that will add smiles to the holiday.Joanna Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

In their sixth adventure together, best friends Bear and Mouse celebrate Christmas with pickles, a poem, and presents. Bear invites Mouse to their first-ever Christmas party, although Bear knows only what he's read about how Christmas is celebrated. He announces that eating pickles and "reading a long and difficult poem" ("A Visit from St. Nicholas") should be enough for their party, but Mouse is most interested in the possibility of presents. Grumpy Bear pretends to reject the notion: "Monstrous assumption!" Ever hopeful, Mouse repeatedly escapes from Bear to search the house for gifts, finally locating his Christmas stocking with a tiny telescope tucked inside. Taking the telescope outside to view the night sky leads to a search for Bear's present, a huge sled that Mouse has somehow hidden under a snow-covered tree. In a satisfying conclusion, Bear and Mouse gleefully sled down a hill "under the shining stars of Christmas." Bear's curmudgeonly personality and Mouse's cheerful antics provide droll humor conveyed with polished comedic pacing and clever phrases such as "a mournful bite of pickle." Soft-focus illustrations in watercolor, ink, and gouache are particularly strong in the subtle expressions on the animal faces as well as in meeting the design challenge of including a huge bear and a tiny mouse in one environment. Another appealing adventure for this delightful duo, just right for a Christmas Eve storytime, perhaps enjoyed with a plate of pickles. (Picture book. 3-7)

ALA Booklist (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Bear, who's only read about Christmas, invites Mouse to celebrate with him one year. Mouse arrives eagerly but soon begins to doubt that Bear has his priorities straight. There's a beautifully decorated tree, yes, but where are the presents? Mouse even searches the house a bit. Miffed, Bear serves "Christmas pickles" and promises to read a poem, "a long and difficult poem." Deflated, Mouse settles down with his pickles, cheese, cookies, and tea while Bear begins reciting "'Twas the Night before Christmas," loudly repeating the line "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care" until Mouse, overjoyed, finds his present at last. But will Bear find his? Written to create rising tension and release it with a joyful surprise, this tale perfectly captures the essence of the prickly but softhearted bear and the childlike mouse who befriended him in A Visitor for Bear (2008). Denton's warm, expressive illustrations heighten the drama and underscore the affection between these two well-loved characters. An amusing, original holiday story.