We Disagree About This Tree

Ross Collins' Mouse and Bear Stories

by Ross Collins

Bear and Mouse have finally overcome their differences and are living together in perfect harmony … until it’s time to decorate the Christmas tree! Bear wants dazzling lights, while Mouse prefers gigantic baubles … and, wait a minute, did Mouse just put a MANATEE on the top?! A topsy-turvy tree is definitely THE LAST STRAW and it looks as if Christmas is RUINED. But maybe, just maybe, Bear and Mouse can reach a compromise in time … ?

Genres: Christmas, Picture Books, Holiday, Humor, Friendship, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2022

About the author

Ross was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1972.
He would eat anything and resembled a currant bun.

As he grew up he was fond of drawing, the Bionic Man and precariously swinging backwards on chairs.

He graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1994 with a First in Illustration. In the same year he won the MacMillan Children's Book Prize an achievement that opened many doors in the Big Smoke.

Ross then spent two years in London cultivating an exotic image of the scribbling Scotsman abroad.

Longing for the cold and damp of the North, Ross returned to Glasgow, where he spends his time writing and illustrating children's books, doing animation character development, walking the dug by the banks of Loch Lomond and precariously swinging backwards on chairs.

from http://www.rosscollins.net/whothisguy...

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my toddler's bedtime. A rhyming story about a bear and a mouse and their disagreement in decorating the Christmas tree. Bear decorated with big ornaments and bright lights and mouse decorated with too much tinsels. In the end, there's one thing they agreed on at least..

Thank you Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read and review!

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bear brings home a Christmas tree, but he and Mouse disagree on how to decorate it. Mouse puts on ornaments that are much too large. Bear puts on way too many twinkle lights. Mouse wants loads of tinsel. Bear wants to put real candles on the tree. Mouse tries to fit a huge manatee fairy at the top instead of a star. Bear actually tries the upside-down Christmas tree trend with disastrous results. In the end, the two friends decide that the important thing about Christmas is just that they are together, enjoying the season in peace and harmony.

This book is so funny! I was laughing through the entire thing. These two friends get up to some hilarious Christmas antics. I really loved the rhyming text. It's very cleverly written and lovely to read out loud. I love the silliness in this book!

The illustrations are fabulous! I love the art style and the bright festive colors. The expressions on the animals' faces brings even more comedy to the story. It's so funny to see them trying to grapple with this Christmas tree, and giving each other looks of disgust and annoyance when they don't like the way the other one is decorating it. So adorable!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Infada Spain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great children's story! My seven-year-old niece absolutely loved it!

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was utterly delightful! I love the author and the illustrations are adorable and so much fun! Will definitely order this book for our library. It's just too much fun and anyone reading it will enjoy the illustrations and the story! Highly recommend!

Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC!

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious!

[Mairéad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, festive story about my favourite polar bear & mouse who discover the real meaning of Christmas... eventually! Full of bright, entertaining illustrations, this rhythmic, rhyming story is a pleasure to read aloud. I can see this becoming an annual favourite in my classroom for many years to come.

Sept2024 reread this adter accidentally requesting a copy from the local library and still thoroughly enjoyed it! Who knows, maybe Santa will finally bring me my own copy this Christmas 🤞😅

[Maritina Mela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming soon

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that Bear and Mouse get along and live together, everything should be peachy. But it's Christmas time and they quickly realize that they can't agree on a tree. One is too sparkly, another is upside down, or one's too tinsel-y. Will they ever find the right one for their house or is Christmas going to be a disaster? At least in the end they can agree on something and that's what matters, keeping their friendship going.

WE DISAGREE ABOUT THIS TREE is a humorous story about an unlikely friendship between a polar bear and a mouse. It will bring a Christmas themed laugh to children as they read this cute book. The illustrations are adorable and watercolor style, and I love the different decorations for the trees. It may even give people ideas to incorporate into theirs. The rhyming scheme and writing style reminds me a bit of Dr. Seuss which to me is an exciting thing that makes me want to read more from this author.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to children aged two and up who enjoy cute animal stories with a Christmas twist. It's a perfect bedtime story for the holiday season and would also make a good gift instead of a card. The wording is simple enough for early readers to try reading it themselves.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG: https://bookreadingtic.com/2023/11/07... AND PLEASE FOLLOW ME, THANK YOU!

The Perfect Tree

Join Bear and Mouse as they decorate their Christmas Tree—except that both have two different ideas about how it should look.

Bear wants to fill it with giant ornaments, bright lights, and candles. Mouse loves it covered with garland, and a topper almost as big as the tree. As they try out their different ideas, will there be a tree that both of them like?

This light-hearted story is told with a catchy rhyme that will be fun to say and listen to. Little ones will be sure to giggle over the decorating ideas, and the way the tale ends. Colorful illustrations add to the story and the humor.

I recommend this great five-star book as a wonderful addition not only for the holiday season, but throughout the year. I was tickled reading it and kids will be, too. This over-sized, hard backed picture book will delight children ages two through five years old.

Thank you, Candlewick Books, for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bear and Mouse who were introduced in There's a Bear on My Chair are back in this rhyming Christmas picture book. This time they have very different ideas about how to decorate a tree. At first they mildly disagree: "Now step aside and you will see the way to do this properly." But it quickly escalates: "If we had hired a referee, I'm sure that they would side with me." The illustrations are hilarious. My favorite illustration is when Mouse is holding a fire extinguisher while wearing a brass firefighter's helmet. It looks like it will all end "disastrously" until they find common ground. A delightful Christmas friendship will a sweet message perfect for the season.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

We disagree about this tree ~ 5⭐
(31/10/23 - 31/10/23)

Such a cute story full of rhyming couplets and such a beautiful message definitely a new one I'll be adding to the collection for the classroom.

📖 - tags
@nosycrow #wedisagreeaboutthistree #christmastree #deckthehalls #deckthetree #polarbearandmouse #bookreview #christmasbookreview #bookadvent #weekendreads #christmaspicturebooks #decoratethetree #festivepicturebooks #picturebooklove #baublesandtinsel #noisycrow #christmaskidsstories

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is also a hoot...hilarious! Polar bear and mouse take turns decorating a tree but they don't like each other's style. There is a sweet ending when they trade presents and they are "just right". The tiny red sweater that mouse gives polar bear is used by polar bear as a hat. The oversized green sweater that polar bear gives mouse is used by mouse as a blanket. And they are both very happy. The illustrations in this book are charming and bright.

[Mabearbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story that involves a very cute polar bear and mouse who disagree on how a Christmas tree should be decorated and all sorts of disasters happen along the way. The ultimate message of this charming book is that the tree will be perfect regardless of how it is decorated as long as you're with the ones you love.. The writing is wonderful and the illustrations are adorable.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a festive addition to a growing series of picture books about two unlikely friends. Bear brings home a tree and the two roommates have different ideas about how to decorate it. Their ideas get more outlandish as they continue debating which is sure to produce some laughter. A fun Christmas story that of course ends on a heartwarming note.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bear and mouse---each wants to oversee
The decoration of the Christmas tree.
Sadly, the two disagree;
They ask us to serve as referee.
To choose would take an advance degree...
Instead, for you, I make a plea---
And it's not hyperbole---
Read it and you will love this book---I guarantee.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh dear. Bear and Mouse - as usual - are bickering. Bear has brought home a lovely tree but each has their own vision for decorating. As Bear says - "This happens when we disagree. It always ends disastrously." Fortunately by the end of the book they have found some common ground - though readers might disagree with their opinions this time!

[Nadina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not realize there were more Bear and Mouse stories. I found this at the library today and it was so lovely and funny. I really love the characters, the back and forth between them. The illustrations are simple. It would definitely work for a storytime, though possibly more pre-school age than toddler. I would have to read again to confirm.

[Papillon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book will appeal to those that are fans of the series with the polar bear. Other than that, I don't really like this book. The rhymes are a little far-fetched. The pages of the book are matte finished. It's really just about the two characters trying to agree on how to decorate the Christmas tree - each one becoming more ridiculous than the last.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Browsing books to give my friends' children as gifts since I won't gift anything I haven't first read myself.

This one made me giggle, as the Bear and the Mouse navigate tree decorating. The illustrations are fantastic. The text is rhyming but not so much in stanzas or couplets or whatever other structure you can think of; instead, every line ends with a rhyme for 'tree'. Easy to read aloud and highly entertaining (at least for me). This is a winner for the gift list.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bear brings home a tree to share with Mouse but they don't share the same vision for decorating it. Readers see each of them decorate the tree and then watch the other take it apart and redecorate a different way. I appreciate the final message that friendship is much more important than aesthetics.

[Vera Godley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple story and illustrations about a bear and a mouse who cannot agree on how to decorate their Christmas tree. Not my favorite but a bit of fun to read.

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone.

[mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly this is not my favorite bear/mouse duo - Bonnie Becker’s Bear books hold that honor - but it is very cute. Good rhymes, a silly but simple premise. I could see this easily tied into a Christmas themed story time or craft program.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many awesome BIG WORDS in this humorous tale about what really matters come Christmas time. The friendship between bear and mouse is fabulous and I love how many times I chuckled. Kiddos will enjoy this one.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bear and Mouse live in harmony. But when Bear brings home a tree to decorate for Christmas, that's when the harmony and peaceful living are disrupted. Can the two roommates find a peaceful accord in this rhyming, fun tale of differences.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a two character / two voices book. There are no speech bubbles, but the characters have different fonts. It's a holiday book.

2025 storytime theme: pine trees and ornaments

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Andrés · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elevated rhymes for the thinking child with a serious silly bone. I think this is sincerely funny, and while the illustrations are not especially fancy, they bring unique flair and elements that are not common in kids books. A fun ride.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason I give up tinsel is love for my cats.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A humorous holiday story of compromise.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

No compromise?

I loved them wearing the sweaters.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and just as the title describes. Kid will get a kick out of the silly illustrations and the very rhyme-y text.