How the Hibernators Came to Bethlehem

by Norma Farber, Barbara Cooney (Illustrator)

One by one, the star of Bethlehem wakes each of the hibernating animals, such as Bear, Raccoon, and Ground Squirrel with it's twinkling touch. As each sleeping beast stirs, the star calls to them, "Bethlehem! Follow me to Bethlehem!" and guides them on a pilgrimage to the holy city leading to a manger cradling a very special child. Caldecott award-winning illustrator Barbara Cooney depicts the animals with a particularly tender touch that will make this a Christmas favorite for a new generation. First published in 1980 and unavailable for 20 years, this new gift book edition of a classic holiday story features a sparkling foil star to highlight light and joy of the season.

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, as you would expect from Barbara Cooney. Animals awake from hibernation to visit the nativity. The text was repetitive and added nothing to the story and the white boxes of text spoilt some of the illustrations, this would have made a beautiful text free story. I love the pictures and worth looking through for those alone.

Read on open library.

[Magpie67 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable Christmas title that gives you warm feelings for this special day so long ago. Brings to my mind the songs Do You Hear What I hear?, The Little Drummer Boy, and Away in the Manager. A good book to read to the little ones at bedtime during December.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations are lovely and cozy. The text…leaves a lot to be desired. The metaphors for the star (wand, key, shovel, etc) really weren’t working for me; they felt cumbersome, and I found myself wondering if kids would even understand.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one out of the Children's "Christmas" section of our local library. I didn't realize until later that it was illustrated by one of my favorite artists - Barbara Cooney. It's an okay story - it gets a little bit irritating with the repetitive, slow-paced narrative, but otherwise tells a nice tale. And of course, the illustrations were wonderful.

[Bree · Rating 1 out of 5]

Notes:
except for the beautiful pictures this book is blah
animals wake up and head to the stable to congregate
nothing about the real xmas story at all
repetitive dry text meant for very young kids

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very sweet story of how a star woke up the hibernating animals and led them to a newborn baby in Bethlehem. Lovely painted illustrations.