THE BEAR FAMILY'S WORLD TOUR CHRISTMAS

Unable to decide on a single destination for the holidays, a family of bears attaches a balloon to their house and circles the globe. In the far north, they visit their cousins the polar bears; in Peru, their friends the spectacled bears; in Australia, the koalas, and so on. Lithuanian artist Kasparavicius's meticulously detailed watercolors play up the international settings with abundant wit, including a nonchalant emu doing duty as a Christmas tree, painted green and decked with ornaments for the holidays Down Under. Ages 4-8. (Dec.)