A Bear for Christmas

by Holly Keller

In a Christmas story about human follies and understanding, Joey peeks inside Grandma's Christmas box and discovers a toy bear nearly as big as he is

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1986

About the author

Holly Keller is an American author and illustrator of children’s books, celebrated for her warm storytelling and distinctive minimalist cartoon style, often featuring animal protagonists. A lifelong reader and artist, she studied history before turning to illustration, encouraged by a design professor to pursue picture books. Her debut publications introduced a body of work known for gentle humor and emotional insight. Keller’s stories frequently explore themes such as adoption, belonging, friendship, sibling bonds, and coping with loss, offering young readers reassurance alongside entertainment. In addition to writing and illustrating her own titles, she has created artwork for texts by other children’s authors. Her books have received numerous honors and remain widely appreciated for their clarity, empathy, and timeless appeal.

Reviews

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a big parcel arrived from Grandma just before Christmas, Joey knew it was for him. He couldn't resist peeking and when his friend came over he showed him, too. The boys accidentally created a problem which Joey felt awful about, especially on Christmas morning. Cute surprise ending. Nicely illustrated.

[Zazie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright, I enjoyed it. I guess it could have been a better story, but it is what it is. Not sure why it's only got 2 stars as a rating. I hope you read it and enjoy it more than I did. I'm just not the age targetted here, so don't mind me. I'd recommend it to a kid for sure.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Present-peeking causes trouble.