What To Listen To Next: The Cinnamon Bear a Holiday Adventure

Summary

Podcast Summary:

Podcast: 'Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast
Episode: What To Listen To Next: The Cinnamon Bear a Holiday Adventure
Host: Chris Parnell (Wondery)
Date: December 23, 2025

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Overview of the Episode

In this special recommendation episode, Chris Parnell from 'Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast introduces listeners to a new family-friendly holiday audio adventure: The Cinnamon Bear: A Holiday Adventure. Crafted as a whimsical, star-studded series meant for kids and parents alike, the episode spotlights the first segment of this new podcast, highlighting its comedic charm, magical storytelling, and heartwarming holiday spirit. Listeners are taken through the initial setup of the Cinnamon Bear adventure, meeting the characters and being drawn into their quest to save a cherished family Christmas tradition.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Show Introduction & Recommendation

• Chris Parnell thanks listeners for supporting the Grinch podcast season and provides a personal recommendation for what to listen to next.
  • He enthusiastically describes The Cinnamon Bear, a holiday adventure “deliciously rich and rewarding for kids and parents” [00:00].
• Star-studded cast mentioned: Alan Cumming, John Goodman, Ryan Reynolds, Helen Hunt, Rachel Dratch, among others [00:23].

Notable quote:

“A little bit of humor mixed with a star-studded cast… and you’ve got a deliciously rich and rewarding holiday experience for kids and parents.”
— Chris Parnell [00:35]

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2. Meet the Main Characters & Setup

• Narrator (Rocky Carroll): Sets a playful, meta tone by “introducing himself” and breaking the fourth wall.
  • Describes the story as “sort of about Christmas and something that you will like a lot” [01:22].
  • Introduces Judy (10) and Jimmy (8), two siblings finishing up their letters to Santa [02:21].
• Character interplay: Judy is earnest and hopeful, Jimmy is skeptical and funny.
  • Judy: “Dear Santa, you are the best exclamation point. ... But of course I know you’ll come because you’re you, period.” [02:21]
  • Jimmy: “I think I’m gonna skip it this year. Seems like a waste of paper and, you know, time.” [03:08]
  • Judy: “But it’s Santa. He’s waiting for your letter.” [03:14]

Notable moment:

Jimmy’s funny existential musing about growing up—“I’m at a weird time in my life.” [03:32]

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3. Family Dynamics & The Lost Star

• Mother (Marcia Gay Harden) enters with the holiday decorations, light-heartedly chiding the siblings’ bickering.
  • The family realizes their treasured star that tops the tree is missing—a symbol of their tradition, handed down over generations [04:34].
  • Jimmy is sentimental: “The thought of Christmas without the sober star on top of the tree is just… well, it wouldn’t be Christmas.” [04:41]

Notable quote:

“Your great grandfather manages to get it here on a boat from Sweden. It gets handed down for three generations, and we just lose it like a set of car keys.”
— Mom [04:51]

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4. Journey to the Attic & Discovery of Magic

• The kids go hunting for the missing star in the attic, finding quirky, magical objects—a telescope, an antique mirror, an odd teddy bear with a “gross plaid ribbon” (Cinnamon Bear), and a crazy quilt [06:12–07:14].

  • Humorous sibling banter, discovery of odd artifacts.

• Judy playfully suggests the teddy bear could be a dog toy, and the sibling rapport is lively and real [07:18].

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5. The Cinnamon Bear Awakens

• First magical event: The Cinnamon Bear comes to life when the kids look through the telescope [08:07].
  • Judy: “I think I… I saw his head move.” [08:05]
  • Both kids become startled as the bear “growls”—in a comically unthreatening fashion.

Notable quote:

Cinnamon Bear: “That’s me being ferocious. Here I go again, Garoo. Um.” [08:52]
Jimmy: “I am scared, but because I'm talking to a teddy bear, not because of that pathetic growl. Are you kidding with that?” [08:45]

• Cinnamon Bear offers an impromptu theme song, adding humor and whimsy [09:28–10:22].

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6. The Quest Begins: Introduction to Adventure and Maybeland

• Cinnamon Bear explains the family’s missing silver star was taken by the “Crazy Quilt Dragon” [11:09].
  • The kids realize their attic quilt was the dragon in disguise and has vanished [11:30].
• He encourages them to chase after the dragon, promising to help by shrinking them down—initiating the magical journey [11:48].
• Visual trick: Using the telescope “the other way around” to shrink the kids [13:06].

Notable quote:

Cinnamon Bear: “We’re only as big as we see.” [13:26]

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7. Into Maybeland: Setting Up the Series Adventure

• The kids shrink and prepare to set off after the dragon via magical flight on an “airplane ornament.”
  • Cinnamon Bear: “That’s my own extra private airplane. And it flies beautifully. I once made a trans root beer oceanic flight in it.” [15:33]
• Meta, cliffhanger ending by the Narrator:
  • “Will that airplane ornament really fly our heroes into this Maybeland place?... Will they get their silver star back in time for Christmas?...” [15:51]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (by Timestamp)

• “A little bit of humor mixed with a star-studded cast… and you’ve got a deliciously rich and rewarding holiday experience for kids and parents.” — Chris Parnell [00:35]
• “I’m at a weird time in my life.” — Jimmy [03:32]
• “Your great grandfather... gets handed down for three generations, and we just lose it like a set of car keys.” — Mom [04:51]
• “That’s me being ferocious. Here I go again, Garoo. Um.” — Cinnamon Bear [08:52]
• “We’re only as big as we see.” — Cinnamon Bear [13:26]
• “That’s my own extra private airplane. And it flies beautifully. I once made a trans root beer oceanic flight in it.” — Cinnamon Bear [15:33]

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Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Recommendation and Cast Overview: [00:00–01:14]
• Narrator Introduces the Story: [01:14–02:21]
• Judy and Jimmy’s Letter Writing: [02:21–03:32]
• Holiday Decorations and Missing Star: [04:06–05:10]
• Attic Exploration and Discovery: [06:12–07:14]
• Cinnamon Bear Comes to Life: [08:05–08:41]
• Theme Song & Magic Unveiled: [09:28–10:22]
• The Mystery of the Quilt Dragon: [11:09–12:12]
• The Magical Shrinking: [13:06–14:39]
• The Plan to Enter Maybeland: [15:00–15:45]
• Cliffhanger Ending by Narrator: [15:51–16:20]

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Overall Tone and Takeaways

The excerpt delivers a whimsical, humorous, and slightly self-aware take on the classic holiday adventure. The dialogue is quick-witted, fondly irreverent (much like the Grinch podcast itself), and packed with charm—the perfect family listen for the holiday season. Characters banter with authentic sibling rivalry, the magical Cinnamon Bear brings festive fun, and the setup teases adventures with madcap magical creatures in a world where “maybe” anything can happen.

Listeners are left eager for the next installment, perfectly setting up The Cinnamon Bear: A Holiday Adventure as a worthy, immersive follow-up for families looking to stay in the holiday spirit.

Transcript

[Chris Parnell]

Hey there, Grinch fans. We want to send a big thank you to everyone who listened to this season. And hey, guess what? If you and the family enjoyed the show, I have the perfect recommendation for you. It's a podcast called the Cinnamon A Holiday Adventure. The magical Cinnamon Bear, played by the one and only Alan Cumming, helps little Jimmy and Judy on a quest to find their stolen tree topping star. Along the way, they'll encounter some bizarre characters, including Mr. Presto the magician voiced by John Goodman, and Santa Claus himself played by Ryan Reynolds. A little bit of humor mixed with a star studded cast. Did we mention Helen Hunt? Hunt. And Rachel Dratch too. And you've got a deliciously rich and rewarding holiday experience for kids and parents. Listen to the Cinnamon Bear A Holiday Adventure right now only on audible.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

And here's the cinnamon bear.

[Chris Parnell]

The Cinnamon Bear, starring Milo Manheim as Jimmy, Sarah Vowell as Judy, and Alan Cumming as the Cinnamon Bear. Tonight's special guest, Marcia Gay Harden as mom Rocky Carroll is our narrator. I'm Chris Parnell.

[Narrator]

Hello. This is your narrator speaking. As you can tell, I'm excellent at narrating. So what do we have here? Welcome to the Story of the Cinnamon Bear. A terrific story that, from what I'm reading here, seems to be sort of about Christmas and something that you will like a lot. It's also about a sister and a brother, Judy and Jimmy something or other, and their adventures with a tiny teddy bear of a fellow called the Cinnamon Bear, which is also the title of the show. What are the odds? In the next few weeks, this little bear is going to introduce you and Judy and Jimmy something or other to a wild assortment of fantastic creatures and characters you're supposed to love. I mean, you will love. I hear they're wonderful. But before we meet the Cinnamon Bear, let's catch up with 10 year old Judy and 8 year old Jimmy something or other. At the moment, they are at their kitchen table finishing up their letters to Santa Claus.

[Judy]

Dear Santa, you are the best exclamation point. Every year I try to stay up to meet you, but my mom says it doesn't work that way. And so I'm like, okay, well how does it work? And she's like, if you don't go to bed right now, Santa won't come at all is how it works. But of course I know you'll come because you're you, period.

[Jimmy]

Hey, buddy, you might be overthinking it. Just tell him you want a bike or a dog or something and then give that Letter to mom. She gives it to Santa, you go to sleep. That's how it works.

[Judy]

Have you finished your letter?

[Jimmy]

Uh, I think I'm gonna skip it this year. It seems like a waste of paper and, you know, time.

[Judy]

But it's Santa. He's waiting for your letter.

[Jimmy]

Is he? Is he waiting for my one particular from duty letter to be tossed into the from duty barrel with all the other from duty letters?

[Judy]

That's pretty bleak. Don't you believe in getting tons and tons of presents for free?

[Jimmy]

I don't know. Yes, maybe. No, I don't know. Stop grilling me. I'm at a weird time in my life. Hey, kids.

[Mom]

Look what I have. The decorations.

[Judy]

Our ornaments.

[Jimmy]

Nice. How many do you think broke into smithereens this year? Always.

[Mom]

So, glass half empty, Judy. Or is it glass half full? And is it even a glass? Huh. Anyway, here, let me put this box down. Move that thing. No, the other thing. No, the. Oh, this is getting heavy.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Move.

[Jimmy]

Yes, that's it.

[Mom]

That thing. Thank you. So guess what? You two are in charge of the decorating this year.

[Judy]

Yay.

[Jimmy]

Yay. Really? Yay. Here are the lights.

[Mom]

Most of the ornaments are wrapped in newspaper. Oh, there's the glass Santa. The wooden reindeer. Well, none of the balls seem to be broken. Judy, I think you're good to go.

[Jimmy]

Hold it. Where's the star?

[Judy]

Yeah, where. Where is usually is right here.

[Mom]

I. I don't know. That's strange.

[Jimmy]

Seriously, where is it? The thought of Christmas without the sober star on top of the tree is just. Well, it wouldn't be Christmas.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Oh, you gotta be kidding.

[Mom]

Your great grandfather manages to get it here on a boat from Sweden. It gets handed down for three generations, and we just lose it like a set of car keys.

[Jimmy]

Mom, focus. We have to find it. That star is just so simple and perfect and, I don't know, beautiful.

[Mom]

Aw, Judy, that's sweet.

[Judy]

Yeah, sweet and weird. When was the last time you were sweet?

[Jimmy]

I can be sweet. Jerk.

[Judy]

Sure, I guess.

[Jimmy]

I'm feeling strangely sweet. No, I'm done with that. It's just a strange, icky feeling that I want Christmas to be nice, like it always was. And the star seems related to that. We gotta find it.

[Mom]

I'll check the attic, and you two go look in the attic. No, wait, that's the same place. You two go in the attic, and I'll go look in the. What's the exact opposite of attic?

[Jimmy]

The basement.

[Mom]

Yes, I'll go look in the basement.

[Judy]

On it. Let's roll. Let's do this.

[Jimmy]

Why don't we pace ourselves? Christmas is still, like, a month away.

[Mom]

Uncle Rob put some stuff up there after last Christmas.

[Jimmy]

Check the big green trunk, by the way.

[Judy]

Got it.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Mom.

[Jimmy]

Would you slow down? I'm not as young as I used to be.

[Judy]

You're 10.

[Jimmy]

Yeah, well, I'm not who I was at 9.

[Mom]

Okay?

[Judy]

Wow. It's dusty up here.

[Jimmy]

And cobwebby. And creepy. Let's find the star and get out of here.

[Judy]

There's the green trunk by the window. Open it up.

[Jimmy]

Got it. It's kind of heavy. Wanna grab the other side?

[Chris Parnell]

Yeah.

[Judy]

Okay.

[Jimmy]

So that's what mothballs smell like.

[Judy]

It's just some old clothes, some picture frames, another box of ornaments.

[Jimmy]

Oh, broken. I knew this family had broken ornaments somewhere. We just hide our shame up here in the attic. Oh, wow. Look at this little mirror. I think it's an antique. And it fits in my pocket. Maybe I can get something for it.

[Judy]

Here's one that's not broken. This cool gold glass airplane thingy. Let's take it downstairs with the rest. I'll set it down on the dresser.

[Jimmy]

Check out this crazy quilt. It's like a hundred old scraps of fabric all sewn together every which way. It's huge.

[Judy]

Let's take that down, too and see if mom wants it. Wait, what about the star? Is it in there?

[Jimmy]

Nope, just a little teddy bear with some gross plaid ribbon around his neck.

[Judy]

Aw, he's cute. It could be good for a dog toy. Let's take it down and see if Max wants it.

[Jimmy]

Okay.

[Judy]

Whoa. Check out that telescope. And it pulls out to, like, three feet. Look, you can see all the way across the street. Right into the Swensons house.

[Jimmy]

Yeah, maybe you shouldn't do that.

[Judy]

Yeah, maybe you're right.

[Jimmy]

Let's just look at things in the room here. Can I have the telescope? I want to look at that tiny teddy bear with the yuck scarf.

[Judy]

Here you go.

[Jimmy]

Thanks. Whoa. That's cool. He looks enormous through this thing. Wow.

[Judy]

Let me see. Yeah, he looks as big as we are. That is amazing. And. And Judy, I think he moved.

[Jimmy]

I'm sorry, what now?

[Judy]

I think I. I saw his head move.

[Jimmy]

That's a mothball fume stalking.

[Judy]

No, no, no, no, no, for real. Check it out.

[Jimmy]

Give me the thing. No, he's just sitting there, and his ribbon's all nasty, like. Whoa.

[Judy]

What?

[Jimmy]

He did move, which is impossible. But he moved his head and now his arm. How did. Did you wind him up or something? Are you trying to mess with me?

[Judy]

No, he's just moving by himself.

[Jimmy]

Let's get out of here, Garra.

[Judy]

He made a noise. He made a noise. He made a noise.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Garoo.

[Jimmy]

He made another one. He made another one. He made another one.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

I'm growling at you, Garrah. Go ahead, be scared.

[Jimmy]

I am scared, but because I'm talking to a teddy bear, not because of that pathetic growl. Are you kidding with that?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

That's me being ferocious. Here I go again, Garoo. Um.

[Jimmy]

Ah.

[Judy]

That is so, so ferocious. I don't know. Just go along with it, okay?

[Jimmy]

Eek. Now can we get back to that part about you having the ability to talk?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Ah, thank you for being scared and. Sure I can talk. Of course I can talk. In fact, let's take it one step further. Further. And I'll sing you my theme song.

[Jimmy]

You have a theme song?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Of course I have a theme song. Doesn't everyone?

[Jimmy]

I don't. My brother does it. No one I know does.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

I'm the cinnamon bear with the shoe button eyes and I'm looking for someone to take by surprise I go prowling and growling each night after dark.

[Judy]

But.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

The folks say my growl's just a cinnamon bark Though I growl and I growl My victims only say, oh, who's afraid of you?

[Jimmy]

Yeah, it's not scary in the least.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

I'm a cinnamon bear with the shoe button eyes and I'm huffy and puffy and tough for my size I devour lots of honey and cinnamon buns Just to make me ferocious but nobody runs Now I growl, Garrah. And I'll growl Garoo, if you lacked.

[Chris Parnell]

Afraid.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

I'm much obliged to you.

[Judy]

Well, cinnamon bear, I'm gonna say that your ferocious growl most definitely scares some people somewhere. Right, Judy?

[Jimmy]

Sure, let's go with that. But.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Well, thank you.

[Jimmy]

But you're also only 4 inches high. And you're made of fluffy, fluffy cotton. That might be working against you.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

This matter of height is why I started to talk to you in the first place. I overheard that you are looking for your silver star. Is that right?

[Judy]

Do you know where it is?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Well, I don't know exactly where it is, but I know who took it. Sure as the twinkle in my eye.

[Jimmy]

It is quite the twinkle.

[Judy]

Who? Who took it?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

The Crazy quilt Dragon.

[Jimmy]

The who now?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

The Crazy quilt Dragon. He's always had a thing for shiny bright objects. Every day for the past couple of weeks, he's been opening that green crate to look at it. He can't help himself, you see. I suppose he finally made off with it.

[Jimmy]

That's weird. I just saw a crazy old quilt. I put it right there.

[Judy]

Wait a second. Where'd it go? It really was right there.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

He's the first one. That dragon.

[Jimmy]

He was a quilt. It. It was a quilt.

[Judy]

So you're saying a quilt dragon stole our great grandfather's star and we're just out of luck?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

On the contrary, you should go after him. Chase him. I'll help you.

[Jimmy]

Quick question. How. How are we going to go with you to find a quilted dragon? Do we put you in our pocket.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Or just the opposite? That's the sizing issue I was talking about. I'm going to help you to de grow. Then we can track Crazy Quilt into the Looking Glass mountains of Maybeland. We'll take that golden playing Christmas ornament you put on the dresser.

[Jimmy]

See? None of those words make any sense. At least not in that order.

[Judy]

Yeah. Can you go a little slower? That was a lot to take in.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

All right, the way I see it, the Crazy Quilt dragon took your silver star and hightailed it through that little hole in the wall right over there.

[Judy]

See it?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

That very hole takes you to Maybeland.

[Jimmy]

Right. Maybeland.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

And look.

[Narrator]

A clue.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Right next to the hole to maybe Land. There's a torn swatch of loose quilt snagged on that splinter. Let's follow that dragon.

[Judy]

But we are too big. We can't fit through that hole.

[Jimmy]

I bet he has an answer for that.

[Chris Parnell]

I do.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

I'm going to help you degrow.

[Jimmy]

Sure. Let's just de grow. You first. Jimmy.

[Judy]

No.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

The both of you together. Are you ready?

[Judy]

We are.

[Jimmy]

He is.

[Judy]

Okay, then.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Now take another look at me through the small end of the telescope. How do I look?

[Jimmy]

Okay. Right? You look gigantic. That's what telescopes do.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

But if you turn the telescope the other way around and look at me through the big end.

[Jimmy]

You look tiny. We've been through this.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Well, we're only as big as we see.

[Judy]

We are?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Both of you keep looking.

[Judy]

You're so teeny tiny small.

[Chris Parnell]

I am.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Now all you have to do is join me at this end of the telescope and you'll be teeny tiny small as well. Now keep looking and focus on my right eye. Just my right eye. Can you see it?

[Judy]

The one above your green bow?

[Jimmy]

His other right eye.

[Judy]

Ah. Got it.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Now stare directly at it and watch my eye twinkle.

[Judy]

I feel funny.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Whoa.

[Jimmy]

What's happening?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Don't take your eyes off my twinkle.

[Judy]

We're getting sucked into the telescope.

[Jimmy]

We are?

[Judy]

What the.

[Jimmy]

Jimmy, hold my hand.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

And welcome to the other end of the telescope.

[Jimmy]

What?

[Judy]

Wow. We. We are at the other end of the telescope. It worked. We are really small. Like crazy small.

[Jimmy]

How did you do that? We're just tiny teddy bear sized. Haha.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

How do you like being 4 inches tall?

[Jimmy]

I am uncomfortable. I'm definitely uncomfortable.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

There's no time to waste. We have to hightail it after Crazy Quilt pronto. He's got a pretty good head start.

[Judy]

So where do we head to?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Right through that hole in the wall.

[Jimmy]

Um, that looks like a huge tunnel now.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

That's exactly what it is. And it leads to Maybeland.

[Judy]

What's a Maybeland?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

It's exactly what it sounds like. Maybe it's hither. Maybe it's yawn. Maybe it's frightening, Maybe it's not. Maybe it's friendly. Maybe. Etc. Etc. But it's definitely where the Looking Glass Mountains are. And I suspect where Crazy Quilt is.

[Jimmy]

Okay, bear, one thing. We are on top of a dresser. How do we get off of this without making our short lives as short people even shorter?

[The Cinnamon Bear]

I told you. We'll take that airplane over on the other side of the dresser.

[Judy]

But that's just a Christmas tree ornament.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

And that's where you're very mistaken, Jimmy. That's my own extra private airplane. And it flies beautifully. I once made a trans root beer oceanic flight in it.

[Judy]

Mm.

[The Cinnamon Bear]

Come on, hop in.

[Jimmy]

Um, we're going to do what now?

[Narrator]

Well, how about them apples? Will that airplane ornament really fly our heroes into this Maybeland place? Will Judy and Jimmy find the crazy quilled dragon in the Looking Glass Mountains? Will they get their Silver Star back in time for Christmas? And can you imagine what the budget would be for the show if we had to add, like, visuals? For the answers to these and other questions, tune in next time to the Cinnamon Bear.

[Chris Parnell]

The Cinnamon Bear is written by Eric Gilliland and Mark McAdam and directed by David Cromer. The music is by James Fernley with Mark McAdam. Executive producers are Eric Gilliland and Danielle von Zernick and Adam Pincus for Best Case Studios. Kate Navin is the executive producer for Audible and Chris Parnell. Listen to the Cinnamon Bear a holiday adventure only on Audible. And Grinch listeners can get Audible for only 99 cents a month for the first three months. For a limited time, save over 90% on the best selection of audiobooks plus podcasts like the Cinnamon Bear. Just visit the Audible website and look for the limited time offer banner Happy Holidays.