BEAR'S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE
by Elizabeth Winthrop & illustrated by Patience Brewster
In Bear and Mrs. Duck (1988), the appealingly childlike toy reluctantly made friends with a new babysitter; by now, Mrs. Duck is an old friend. Nora has warned Bear not to investigate the wrapped gifts while she's out shopping, but a long time in her closet during a game of hide-and-seek provides an irresistible temptation that leads inevitably to disappointment: the hoped-for train can't be in those little parcels. Nora comes home to comfort and cheer up Bear, but wisely not to reveal her secret until the lesson is absorbed; then the train turns up under the tree after all. A warm story with endearing characters, nicely extended in the sympathetic illustrations in holiday colors. (Picture book. 3-8)