The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear

Stan and Jan Berenstain's The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear is a Christmas story for 5 year olds about Sister Bear, a very long Christmas list, and a trip to see Santa at the mall.

What happens

Christmas has started early in Bear Country. The shops are decorated, the TV is full of adverts for new toys, and Sister wants ALL of them. A teddy that hugs you back. A ride-on pink pony. Something called Giggly Goo.

Her list gets longer and longer. Then Brother points out that Santa Bear has every cub in the world to think about. What if he thinks she's greedy?

Suddenly Sister is nervous. She remembers all the times she wasn't exactly good. The shouting match with Brother. The broken lamp and the big fib that followed. The bedroom so messy that Mama threatened to throw away all the toys.

It's such a real worry for little ones, isn't it? Mama's answer is just right. Santa Bear doesn't expect cubs to be perfect, just good.

So Sister does something quite grown-up. She writes a new, shorter list. And with Brother's help, she empties her piggy bank to buy presents for Mama and Papa.

When she's finally on Santa's lap, she tells him the truth. She hasn't been perfect, but she has been good. It's a sweet little line, and lots of children will want to borrow it.

On Christmas Eve, Sister has a lot of questions. How can reindeer fly? How does Santa fit down their skinny chimney? Papa's answer keeps all the magic safe (so no need to worry there). And on Christmas morning, one of the best bits for Sister is watching Mama and Papa open the presents she chose.

It's a gentle way to talk about wanting things without making anyone feel bad for it. It's an American story, so Christmas kicks off just after Thanksgiving, but that won't bother anyone.

What to read next

If your reader liked watching Sister learn to want a bit less, they might enjoy Get the Gimmies, where Brother and Sister make a big fuss every time they spot a treat at the shops.