In this universal celebration of community and love, Bear gathers his friends from near and far to mark the changing of the season.

Acclaimed author Lola M. Schaefer and award-winning artist Bethanne Andersen explores themes of empathy, hope, and peace in this breathtaking picture book that will bring joy to the holidays as well as year round storytimes.

On a cold winter morning, Bear welcomes a new star to the sky and searches for the perfect tree-a majestic evergreen-under which to host a celebration for everyone to enjoy. Almost as if by magic, guests start to arrive. They are feathered, furry, scaled-on the wing, on four paws, on two feet. They are young and old. They bring gifts. They bring love. They bring hope for peace.

The Bear and the Star is a stunning picture book from acclaimed author Lola M. Schaefer and award-winning artist Bethanne Andersen. With a focus on understanding, empathy, community, and hope, it's the ideal choice for family sharing during the holiday season and throughout the year.

This book has been graded for interest at 4-8 years.

There are 40 pages in this book. This book was published 2019 by HarperCollins Publishers Inc .

Lola M. Schaefer is the author of several books for children, including An Island Grows; Pick, Pull, Snap! Where Once a Flower Bloomed, an NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts; and What's Up, What's Down? She lives with her husband, Ted, in the mountains of north Georgia, where she occasionally observes the back end of a black bear, coyote, or gray fox. Bethanne Andersen is the illustrator of Bluebird Summer by Deborah Hopkinson and Seven Brave Women, winner of the Jane Addams Children's Book Award and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, written by Betsy Hearne. She lives in Boise, Idaho. Lola M. Schaefer is the award-winning author of many books for children of all ages. She lives in Georgia. Christopher Silas Neal is the illustrator of critically acclaimed books. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.