Stan and Jan Berenstain Books

You'd have to live under a rock not to know of the Berenstain Bears books and TV shows. I've loved the Berenstain Bears ever since my teenagers were babies. I like the classic Bears (where Papa Bear is always a bumbling idiot) and the later Bears (where Brother and Sister always learn an important lesson). So when I recently learned that Stan and Jan Berenstain, creators of the Berenstain Bears, wrote some books for parents, I had to check one out! I read "The Berenstains' Baby Book: Advice for Parents from the Creators of the Berenstain Bears" (ISBN 0-671-49629-8), and it's hilarious! The Berenstains dispense advice on all kinds of subjects, including pregnancy, feeding, bedtime, first words, discipline, daycare, and much more. The version I read was published in 1983, so parts are dated, but it really doesn't matter. The humor in this book remains fresh! Here's some of the advice they offer:

Pregnancy: While you've been working through the final stages of your blimp impersonation, solicitous friends and relatives have kept your phone ringing off the wall. Your mother-in-law is convinced that the whole process is taking much too long and that your delaying tactics are for the specific purpose of embarrassing her.

Grandparents: The grandparent's first impulse upon seeing the grandchild is to pick him up. It matters not that the child is happy in the crib, coach, or playpen. Nor does it matter that it required a supreme effort of stamina, will and native cunning to get him to lie there quietly in the first place. Up he's snatched! Then, after a few minutes of knee dandling, Grandpa glances at his watch and discovers that he'd better hurry if he's going to pick up Grandma in time to make the first show. . . . So, putting Baby back where he found him, he bids you adieu, but you don't hear him over the mounting decibels from your infant.

Potty-Training: Bladder Control consists of putting the tot on the pot every hour on the hour. It also entails sponging up a puddle every hour on the hour, roughly two minutes after you take the child off the pot. Stated in its simplest terms, your objective is to get the puddle in the pot. The solution is largely a matter of sticking rigidly to a schedule and constantly keeping a weather eye squinted for signs of precipitation.

Undressing: At two and a half, your tot will probably try to remove socks by grabbing at the piggie end and pulling toward his face. He pulls and pulls. Nothing happens. Eventually his hand slips off and connects with his nose. After this, be sure to slip his socks off his heels for him when he's in the mood to undress himself. Then when he grabs a handful of sock and yanks, he'll get results: there will be a sock in his fist when it connects with his nose.

There's even a brief fill-in-the-blank section at the end of the book with such humorous items as:
Smashed first priceless heirloom at ___ months.
First locked self in bathroom at ____ months.
Brought home first dead animal at ____ months.
First fist fight at ____ months. Who won? __________

"The Berenstains' Baby Book" is also loaded with adorable classic Berenstain illustrations. This is my new favorite gift item for expectant parents. Parenting isn't easy, but it helps when we can laugh at the many challenges and difficult stages. This book will bring out the chuckles in every parent.

With five Berenstain Bears books; The Big Honey Hunt, The Bear Scouts, The Missing Dinosaur Bone, The Bike Lesson, The Bear Detectives, and the Bears' Picnic, the Big Book of Berenstain Bears is a great way to get a hefty dose of Berenstain in one handy volume.

At 337 pages, it will keep almost any toddler amused for hours. Or out-last even the least sleepy youngster at bedtime.

This is one of the earlier type of Berenstain Bears books, that rhymes in a very simple style perfect for new or early readers. The great theme is that the father, in teaching his son how to ride a bike, makes mistake after mistake, and after each disaster tells him, "this is something you should NOT do" while the son patiently and wisely watches and learns. Delightful; your young child is sure to love it. Sadly, later Berenstain rhyming books are flat and dull; then they stopped rhyming entirely. This book is lively, clever, and pure delight. (Kenneth Higbee has a useful "list" of rhyming Berenstain Bears books -- this is not on that list as of this writing.)

I remember reading this book when I was in elementary school! I am American-born, of Mexican descent, where I grew up learning both English and Spanish. Now that I have a child, it's harder to maintain proper Spanish around the household. "The Berenstein's Bears New Baby" Spanish version allowed for a wonderful transition of great, classic American children stories to be told in Spanish, therefore, incorporating the best of both worlds! This is a book to keep on bookshelves that is great to read over and over again. It even helped me practice my Spanish as well!

The Berenstains are always favorites, characters kids come to recognize and enjoy, making this short book a nice way to introduce beginning readers to simple words and their meanings.

Inside, outside, on, off and other words are illustrated with the Berenstain's usual, great simple drawings.

Este libro es divertido leer. La hermana osa tendra seis anos. Su papa y hermano y ella le gusta una celebracion muy grande. Sin embargo, La hermana osa tiene demasiados cumpleanos.

This is the best book I have ever read. I really like horses and I'm taking riding lessons and I think the authors did a very good job.

Papa Bear sees a small root sticking up from the ground. He decides it needs to be removed, but that "little stump" turns out to be very large. By the end of the book, Papa Bear has removed a mammoth stump, uprooting the whole neighborhood! A very funny book.

I've reviewed many of the Berenstain Bears books available at Amazon. I mix these books into the bedtime reading rotation for our two young sons. I like these books because they allow me to review manners, morales and important lessons at the end of the day.

"Learn About Strangers" is as important a topic as it is difficult to teach without scaring your kids. This book shows how everyone needs to be aware of their surroundings. At different points in the story, both of the young bears get caught up and forget the book's lesson. Fortunately, their sibling is able to help remind them to be careful.

I have talked to my daughter on many occasions about strangers. However, after reading this book to her several times (and stopping to talk about what was happening), she's finally starting to understand that she shouldn't interact with strangers unless her parents are around.

This issue is one of the biggest, when it comes to a child's safety, and well being.
Kidnappings have risen over the years, with the changes into today's society. Children are extremely visible to predators. Criminals have found much easier ways, of gaining information, about your child. If these strangers have enough about the child, their family, their friends, being approached, with small talk, could convince a young person to fall into their deadly trap.
These offenders no longer need a street, an internet connection, is all the better.
Though net safety is not included in this book, the basic concepts can fit into about any stranger danger conflicts.
It is a starting source, which aims not to frighten the youngster. It is to help instill safety, in similarity to stop, drop, and roll for fire safety.
After reading with a child, allow for stranger questions. Ask, and help a child setup a safety plan.
Come up with ground rules, the child understands, when dealing with unfamiliar individuals, or places.
Explain the safest places to go if they become lost. Discuss being home alone, and how to handle phone calls,or someone at the door, could allude to the child being alone!

Effective book for young children. My daughter is just like the sister bear character, so I think she's been able to relate to her character and not be too scared of people she doesn't know. I would definately recommend this book for parents of 4-5 year olds. For a younger child, "Your Body Belongs to You" by Cornelia Spelman, it's easier for them to understand I think. Berenstain Bears is a great series that I will follow.

I guess this is a good place to start, but it's a little too nuanced for small kids. I would recommend this book for five and up, but then again, I'm no expert

This is one of the earlier Berenstain Bear books, and it shows. Despite the cover, the bears on the *inside* of this book are less stylized and cutesy than the bears in the newer books, and the story is an early reader instead of a longer read-aloud.

It's a cute little story about a cub suffering from "grass is greener" syndrome, but unable to decide which hat to get. Eventually he decides his old one is perfect - you saw that coming!

There are only a few words per page, with a basic vocabulary, so this one is perfect little-little ones learning to talk. I do find that many of the words in this book are too uncommon, too long, or follow too odd spelling rules for this book to really function as an early reader. But it's so funny that I don't think that really matters.

My sons who are 2 and 3 years old Love this books. They memorize the whole book and will read it to me. I brought this book twice already, but i don't mind it at all because it's a must have in this house.

My daughter got this book for her first Christmas. I put it on the shelf & forgot about it until she was about 1 when she discovered it for herself. In the almost full year since then, a day has not gone by when this book has not been read -- generally, numerous times (& I'm not sick of it yet). Thankfully I've been able to memorize it -- if she's in the car and cranky, simply reciting the book will calm her down. Such is the power of this great book. She's managed to tear pages but we just tape it together and read it again the next day. Highly recommended for anyone wanting a fun, simple book for their little one.

I love the pictures. It's so much fun to read this story to my 12 month old daughter.

I loved this book as a child, and now (30 years later) my son is enjoying it as well!