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The Berenstain Bears
The Berenstain Bears' Night Before Christmas
Mama, Papa, Sister, Brother, and Honey Bear are back in this heartwarming retelling of Clement Clarke Moore's classic Christmas tale. It is the night before Christmas, and all through the tree house . . . the Berenstain Bears are ready to celebrate!
With more than three hundred and seventy-five books published over the past fifty years, the Berenstain Bears continue to be loved by generation after generation of young readers.
With more than three hundred and seventy-five books published over the past fifty years, the Berenstain Bears continue to be loved by generation after generation of young readers.
24 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2013
36 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Mike Berenstain
449 books166 followersMike Berenstain grew up watching his parents, Stan and Jan, working together to write and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too. Mike is married to Andrea and they have three children. They live in Pennsylvania, in an area that looks a lot like Bear Country.
Mike's earliest memory is of his parents studio in suburban Philadelphia. He remembers sitting on the floor scribbling on yellow typewriter paper with a big black pencil. His mother looked at the tangled hairball he had created, pointed out some random shape and said, "Look! Youve drawn a fish!" It did, indeed, look like a fish. That was his first drawing lesson. Hes been drawing ever since.
Aside from drawing, Mikes primary interests growing up were playing whiffle ball with his older brother Leo, collecting insects, stamps, coins, bottle caps, baseball cards, etc., building model planes, playing Davy Crockett in the backyard and fishing. He was also interested in watching the creation of his parents magazine cartoons during the 50s and finally, the birth of the first Berenstain Bears book in 1962. Hes often asked which is his favorite Berenstain Bear book. The answer is THE BERENSTAIN BEARS PICNIC, created when he was twelve. It features a picture of Papa Bear getting a big load of garbage dumped on his head. He thought this was very funny. Ever since, hes enjoyed drawing garbageapple cores, banana peels, old bed springs and the like.
Mike attended art school in Philadelphia in the early 70s, then worked as a designer in the Childrens Book Department of a New York publisher before starting his career as an author and illustrator. His first childrens book was published in 1976 followed by some thirty more over the next sixteen years. These ranged in subject from wizards to dinosaurs.
Since the late 80s, he has been very much involved as a writer and illustrator with his familys creation, the Berenstain Bears. He continues to work with his mother, Jan, creating new books, writing and illustrating.
Aside from the bears, Mike is interested in many thingsin classical music, American history, astronomy and physics. He likes to ski. He spends a lot of time with horses.
Mike is married, his wifes name is Andrea. They have three children whose antics and activities growing up have provided inspiration for many Berenstain Bears books over the years."
Mike's earliest memory is of his parents studio in suburban Philadelphia. He remembers sitting on the floor scribbling on yellow typewriter paper with a big black pencil. His mother looked at the tangled hairball he had created, pointed out some random shape and said, "Look! Youve drawn a fish!" It did, indeed, look like a fish. That was his first drawing lesson. Hes been drawing ever since.
Aside from drawing, Mikes primary interests growing up were playing whiffle ball with his older brother Leo, collecting insects, stamps, coins, bottle caps, baseball cards, etc., building model planes, playing Davy Crockett in the backyard and fishing. He was also interested in watching the creation of his parents magazine cartoons during the 50s and finally, the birth of the first Berenstain Bears book in 1962. Hes often asked which is his favorite Berenstain Bear book. The answer is THE BERENSTAIN BEARS PICNIC, created when he was twelve. It features a picture of Papa Bear getting a big load of garbage dumped on his head. He thought this was very funny. Ever since, hes enjoyed drawing garbageapple cores, banana peels, old bed springs and the like.
Mike attended art school in Philadelphia in the early 70s, then worked as a designer in the Childrens Book Department of a New York publisher before starting his career as an author and illustrator. His first childrens book was published in 1976 followed by some thirty more over the next sixteen years. These ranged in subject from wizards to dinosaurs.
Since the late 80s, he has been very much involved as a writer and illustrator with his familys creation, the Berenstain Bears. He continues to work with his mother, Jan, creating new books, writing and illustrating.
Aside from the bears, Mike is interested in many thingsin classical music, American history, astronomy and physics. He likes to ski. He spends a lot of time with horses.
Mike is married, his wifes name is Andrea. They have three children whose antics and activities growing up have provided inspiration for many Berenstain Bears books over the years."
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 23, 2017
Nice retelling of the night before Christmas. Shorter and kept the children's attention in my Kindergarten class.
December 3, 2019
Brady and I were surprised to learn that the son Mike wrote the book and the cubs have a baby sibling named honey.
December 25, 2021
Just "Twas the Night Before Christmas" with Beary-illustrations.
September 7, 2025
I really like the Christmas illustrations but it bothers me that the descriptions of who Saint Nicholas is, is based on a poem rather than on the real person, a Catholic Archbishop. He was the Bishop of Myra, a city in the region of Lycia in Asia Minor during the 4th century. So, the author wants to explain where the secular Santa Claus came from, being the poem, fine; but it's not logical to take Saint Nicholas and trump him up to just a poem. They could've at least given a little footnote about the real Saint Nicholas/Santa Claus.
October 25, 2018
I enjoy reading the Bernstein Bear book to my grandchildren, and I may use this book to read at our Church Nativity event on December 1, 2018. The mama and papa bear, talk about Saint Nickolas, and how it is an old name for Santa Claus. Mama Bear suggests that Papa Bear should read the children, The Night Before Christmas, and then it shows them all getting sung in their beds, to wait for Santa.
December 25, 2024
I like very much this book as it is the "Berenstain bears" version of the classic poem "Night before Christmas". I like to collect different versions of this poem, a good entertaining read during the holiday season.
December 17, 2018
Berenstain bears version
The berenstain bears version of the night before Christmas. Brother and sister hear the story for the first time. Very cute.
The berenstain bears version of the night before Christmas. Brother and sister hear the story for the first time. Very cute.
January 11, 2019
Read the real thing. Parts of the original poem missing.
December 28, 2019
Read this to my grandson, age 4. He sat and listened to the whole thing. It’s got the entire poem of “Twas the night before Christmas.” I’m so glad he listened because I’d like him to grow up remembering the poem. I think the Berenstain Bears illustrations really helped keep his attention.
November 16, 2022
It's "Twas the Night Before Christmas" poem told by the Berenstain Bears.
Ages: 4 - 9
Cleanliness: has Santa.
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Ages: 4 - 9
Cleanliness: has Santa.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
December 3, 2014
Papa Bear reads "The Night Before Christmas," by Clement C. Moore to the family on Christmas Eve which makes it more of a 4.5 than a 5, but that is okay. It's the Berenstain Bears! If someone is looking for a totally original story, then it might be an issue.
December 7, 2016
Reviewing on Cassie's Library.
December 18, 2016
Some of this story is the traditional Night Before Christmas but the rest of the story Papa Bear is retelling the story to the cubs.
April 1, 2014
Love it!
December 14, 2014
The Story of "The Night Before Christmas" with just a little Berenstain Bear added on.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews