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Berenstain Bears

April 11, 2024

For other uses, see Berenstain Bears (disambiguation).

The Berenstain Bears is a children's literature franchise created by the late Stan and Jan Berenstain and continued by their son, Mike Berenstain, who assumed partial authorship in 2002, and full authorship in 2012 following his mother's passing. The books feature a family of anthropomorphic grizzly bears who generally learn a moral or safety-related lesson in the course of each story.

Berenstain Bears
The Berenstain Bears: Papa (top left), Mama (top right), Brother (bottom left), Sister (bottom right), Honey (center)
Author
IllustratorStan and Jan Berenstain
Mike Berenstain
Cover artistStan and Jan Berenstain
Mike Berenstain
Country
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's literature
PublisherRandom House, Harper
Published1962–present
No. of books400

Since the 1962 debut of the first Berenstain Bears book, The Big Honey Hunt, the series has grown to over 400 titles, which have sold approximately 260 million copies in 23 languages.[1] The Berenstain Bears franchise has also expanded well beyond the books, encompassing television series and a wide variety of other products and licenses. While enjoying decades of popularity and receiving numerous awards, the series has been criticized for its perceived saccharine tone and formulaic storytelling.[2]

History

Stanley Berenstain and Janice Grant met in 1941, on their first day of drawing class at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art, where they formed an immediate bond.[3][4][5] After being separated during World War II, during which Stan served in the Army as a medical illustrator and Janice worked as a drafter for the United States Army Corps of Engineers and an aircraft riveter, they were reunited and married in 1946.[3] While initially working as art teachers, the Berenstains pursued a joint career in cartooning and gradually found success working together on illustrations, humorous sketches and cover art for publications including The Saturday Review of Literature, Collier's, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and The Saturday Evening Post.[3][4][6] In 1951, they published Berenstains' Baby Book,[7] a humorous how-to aimed at adults and based on their experiences raising their infant son Leo in downtown Philadelphia.[5] Nearly two dozen other books followed; described by Stan as "cartoon essays", the titles included Marital Blitz, How To Teach Your Children About Sex Without Making A Complete Fool of Yourself,[8] and Have A Baby, My Wife Just Had A Cigar![9][5]

In the early 1960s, the Berenstains sought to enter the field of writing for young children.[3] For their first children's book, they chose to cast bears as the main characters, primarily because "bears are furry and appealing."[3][5] Stan also observed that female bears are "terrifyingly good mothers" while the males are "lousy fathers".[5] (The Berenstains did not consider the similarity to their last name in making the choice)[5][10] In their 2002 memoir, they said that they knew from the start that their book would "have three characters: a bluff, overenthusiastic Papa Bear who wore bib overalls and a plaid shirt and ...a wise Mama Bear who wore a blue dress with white polka dots ... and a bright, lively little cub."[6]

The Berenstains' first bear story, titled Freddy Bear's Spanking, arrived on the desk of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, who had found phenomenal success in 1957 with The Cat in the Hat and was now editor of a Random House series called "Beginner Books".[10] Geisel took on the manuscript, but spent the next two years ruthlessly challenging the Berenstains to make improvements to the writing and structure and to connect with their characters on a deeper level.[1][10][11] He asked questions such as "What kind of pipe tobacco does Papa Bear smoke?" and urged them to analyze the relationship between Papa Bear and Small Bear, to which Stan responded, mystified, "Well, he's the father, and he's the son"; however, Jan attributed the inspiration for the characters' dynamic to the 1931 film The Champ.[3][5]

 
The Big Honey Hunt in its original 1962 publication, left, and its 2002 reissue

The book was finally published in 1962 under the title The Big Honey Hunt, with no plans to revisit the bears in a sequel.[5][10] Geisel had told the Berenstains to feature a different animal in their next story, as "there are already too many bears ... Sendak's got some kind of bear. There's Yogi Bear, the Three Bears, Smokey Bear, the Chicago Bears ... for your next book you should do something as different from bears as possible."[6] They had started work on a new project featuring a penguin when Geisel called and told them: "We're selling the hell out of the bear book."[5][6] The second bear book, The Bike Lesson, appeared in 1964, featuring the names Stan and Jan Berenstain instead of Stanley and Janice; Geisel had changed the credit without consulting them. Geisel was also responsible for adding the name "Berenstain Bears" to the covers of the book.[5][6][12][13]

Over the next several decades, Stan and Jan collaborated on hundreds of books from their home studio outside Philadelphia.[1][6] After developing a storyline together, one of them (usually Stan) would develop a first draft, which the other would then refine into an 1100-word manuscript. They also worked together on the illustrations.[5] In 2002, the couple released a memoir of their career titled Down A Sunny Dirt Road.[6]

Their sons Leo and Mike also entered the family business. Mike became a published author and illustrator starting in 1976, and Leo published a book of short stories in 1992.[10] In the 1990s, the men worked on the Berenstain Bears "Big Chapter Book" series (published under the names Stan and Jan Berenstain).[10] Following Stan's death from lymphoma in 2005, Mike collaborated with his mother on writing and illustrating Berenstain Bears installments, while Leo has been involved with the business side of the franchise.[1] Jan Berenstain died in February 2012 following a stroke.[14][15] Mike Berenstain continues to write and illustrate new books in the series[16] and has incorporated faith-based themes in recent years.[17]

Characters and themes

Main article: List of Berenstain Bears characters

The Berenstain Bears, who reside "in a big treehouse down a sunny dirt road deep in Bear Country", consists of Papa Bear, an over-eager, bumbling carpenter; wise Mama Bear, a housewife and perfectionist; and their children, Brother Bear (originally Small Bear), and later additions Sister Bear and Honey Bear.[3][10][18] Sister Bear was introduced in the 1974 book The Berenstain Bears' New Baby. Honey Bear's imminent arrival was announced in early 2000 in The Birds, the Bees, and the Berenstain Bears, along with a reader contest to name the new bear; her birth was featured later that year in The Berenstain Bears and Baby Makes Five.[18][19]

The early Beginner Books about the bears generally follow a basic formula, so described by the Berenstains: "Papa sets out to instruct Small Bear in some aspect of the art of living and ends up badly the worse for wear, with Small Bear expressing his appreciation for the fine lesson Papa has taught him."[6] According to The Washington Post's Paul Farhi, "The action usually starts when the kids face a problem. They turn to Papa, who offers a "solution" that only makes the problem—or the kids' fears about it—even worse. Enter Mama, who eventually sets everyone straight."[20]

The litany of issues confronted by the Berenstain Bears over their fifty years of publication includes bullying, messiness, poor sportsmanship, visiting the dentist, online safety, and childhood obesity, among countless others.[1][5][21] The Berenstains often drew inspiration from their own family experiences, which Stan credited for the series' continued relevance: "Kids still tell fibs and they mess up their rooms and they still throw tantrums in the supermarket ... Nobody gets shot. No violence. There are problems, but they're the kind of typical family problems everyone goes through."[4][11] The couple also pointed out, in response to criticism of the characterization of Papa and Mama Bear, that the characters were heavily inspired by Stan and Jan Berenstain themselves.[5][10]

Books

Main article: List of Berenstain Bears books

Reception

The Berenstain Bears series had sold over 240 million copies by 2003. Of their books, 35 are in the Publishers Weekly top 250 titles of all time, and 15 are in the top 100 children's paperbacks.[22] The series has received praise and awards for its contributions to children's literature[23] as well as condemnation for promoting outdated gender roles, simplistic and unrealistic messages, and not keeping up with the times.[15]

Criticism

Critics of the series have called it "syrupy", "unsatisfying", "infuriatingly formulaic", "hokey", "abominable", and "little more than stern lectures dressed up as children's stories".[2][10][24][25]

In a 1989 editorial titled "Drown the Berenstain Bears", The Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer lamented the popularity of the books, writing that "it is not just the smugness and complacency of the stories that is so irritating", but the bears themselves, particularly "the post-feminist Papa Bear, the Alan Alda of grizzlies, a wimp so passive and fumbling he makes Dagwood Bumstead look like Batman". He described Mama Bear as "the final flowering of the grade-school prissy, the one with perfect posture and impeccable handwriting ... and now you have to visit her every night. The reason is, of course, that kids love them. My boy, 4, cannot get enough of these bears."[26]

Upon the death of Stan Berenstain in 2005, The Washington Post published an "Appreciation" piece which many Post readers found surprisingly unappreciative in its tone. Written by Paul Farhi, who had previously rebuked the Berenstain Bears as the most popular example of a lamentable and misguided "self-help" genre aimed at children,[2] the 2005 piece revived his earlier sentiments:

The larger questions about the popularity of the Berenstain Bears are more troubling: Is this what we really want from children's books in the first place, a world filled with scares and neuroses and problems to be toughed out and solved? And if it is, aren't the Berenstain Bears simply teaching to the test, providing a lesson to be spit back, rather than one lived and understood and embraced? Where is the warmth, the spirit of discovery and imagination in Bear Country? Stan Berenstain taught a million lessons to children, but subtlety and plain old joy weren't among them.[20]

Subsequent letters from readers condemned Farhi for expressing such harshness toward the recently deceased; one wrote, "In the name of fairness, please be sure to allow the Berenstain family the opportunity to someday retort in Farhi's obituary."[27] Readers also defended the books' "warmth" and their enduring popularity among young children.[27][28]

Slate's Hanna Rosin drew criticism for the writing of Jan Berenstain's death, "As any right-thinking mother will agree, good riddance. Among my set of mothers the series is known mostly as the one that makes us dread the bedtime routine the most." (Rosin subsequently apologized and admitted she "was not really thinking of [Berenstain] as a person with actual feelings and a family, just an abstraction who happened to write these books".)[29][30]

Awards and praise

The Berenstain Bears series has been awarded the Ludington Award from the Educational Paperback Association for their contribution to children's literature, the Drexel Citation from Drexel University, several Philadelphia Literary Children's Roundtable Honors, and many other state reading association awards.[22][23][31][32][33] Following Jan Berenstain's death in 2012, acclaimed children's author Jerry Spinelli said that "the Berenstains made a wonderful and lasting contribution to children's literature". Author and professor Donna Jo Napoli said, "Those bears have helped so many children through so many kinds of challenges that kids face, in such a cheerful and kind of energetic way."[14] The Washington Post's Alexandra Petri wrote that the books were "timeless, timely, and kind-hearted, like all the best literature", and acknowledged the Post's 1989 piece by saying, "This is one of the times the kids have the right idea and Charles Krauthammer does not."[34]

Franchise

Since the Berenstain Bears' creation, the characters have been widely licensed for a broad array of products. The franchise exploded in size in the 1980s, when King Features began aggressively promoting the Bears to marketers amidst a surge in popularity following a series of animated television specials. As of 1983, the Berenstain Bears had been licensed to approximately 40 companies for more than 150 types of products, with projected annual sales of $50 million.[35]

Television

 
From top: the 1979 special The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree; the 1985 series; the 2003 series.

The Berenstain Bears first appeared on television in five animated specials on NBC, airing as follows:[10][12][35]

The first special starred Ron McLarty, Gabriela Glatzer, Jonathan Lewis, and Pat Lysinger as Papa, Sister, Brother and Mama, respectively. Most reprised their roles in the subsequent specials.

From 1985 through 1987, an animated series titled The Berenstain Bears Show aired as part of CBS' Saturday-morning cartoon block.[44][45][46][47] The series was nominated in 1987 for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming; it was also nominated that year for a Humanitas Prize in the category of Non-Prime Time Children's Animated Show.[48][49]

A second TV series, also called The Berenstain Bears, debuted on PBS in 2003. The series was produced by the Canadian company Nelvana and consisted of 40 30-minute episodes adapted from the books.[11][12] However, the series are considered separate adaptations and were never aired together. Even though the 2003 series is not a remake but a continuation of the episodes, some characters' personalities changed while other characters no longer appeared. (However, new characters appeared.) The original specials and TV series have a rustic design and interaction with other forest animals, while the Nelvana series completely embraced rural life with slower timing. Although Canadian laws required Nelvana to employ only Canadian writers and artists, the Berenstains provided detailed reviews of each script. They also sought to exert their influence on some details, according to Stan. "Our bears don't wear shoes, and Papa wouldn't wear his hat in the house ... And we try to keep complete, total banality out of the stories."[11] Common practicalities of animation did force some minor costume changes from the books, such as eliminating polka dots and plaids. (This issue also occurred in previous animated series and specials. Only a limited amount of polka dots was allowed in the five specials.)[12] The show's theme song is performed by Lee Ann Womack.[12]

In 2011, 20 episodes of the Nelvana series were dubbed in the Native American Lakota language and began airing on public television in North and South Dakota under the title Matȟó Waúŋšila Thiwáhe ("The Compassionate Bear Family"). The translated series was a collaboration of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and the nonprofit Lakota Language Consortium, with Mike Berenstain and Nelvana waiving all licensing fees for the venture. The Berenstain Bears is the first animated series to be translated into a Native American language in the United States.[50][51]

Software and video games

Several computer games and other software adaptations of the Berenstain Bears books have been released, including the following:

  • 1983: Berenstain Bears, by Coleco for the Atari 2600 gaming system. A rare and collectible cartridge that was playable only with the KidVid controller accessory.[52]
  • 1990: Berenstain Bears Learn About Counting, MS-DOS game to teach counting.[53][54][55]
  • 1990: Berenstain Bears: Junior Jigsaw, MS-DOS game featuring putting together a simple jigsaw puzzle.[53]
  • 1991: Berenstain Bears: Fun With Colors, MS-DOS game that teaches basic colors.[53]
  • 1992: Berenstain Bears Learning Essentials, MS-DOS game that teaches pre-school knowledge.[53]
  • 1993: Berenstain Bears On Their Own: And You On Your Own, a CD-i game.[53]
  • 1993: The Berenstain Bears: Learning At Home, Volume 1, computer software from Compton's New Media. Noted for requiring "a whopping 20 megabytes of hard-disk space".[56]
  • 1993: Berenstain Bears Treehouse Classroom, MS-DOS game.[53]
  • 1993: The Berenstain Bears: Learning At Home, Volume 2, computer software from Compton's New Media.[53]
  • 1994: Berenstain Bears Learn About Letters, computer software from Softprime Inc. Reviewed by The New York Times as "mediocre".[57]
  • 1994: The Berenstain Bears' Camping Adventure, video game for the Game Gear and Sega Genesis platforms, as part of their "Sega Club" children's lineup.[citation needed]
  • 1994: Berenstain Bears: A School Day, a video game for the Sega Pico.[53]
  • 1995: The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight, computer software from Random House/Brøderbund as part of the Living Books series. An animated point-and-click adaptation of the book of the same name, featuring a brief video interview with the Berenstains. The Milwaukee Journal said, "The quality of the disc's illustrations and the bluegrass banjo soundtrack by Tony Furtado are first-rate."[58] Living Books later released a second Berenstain Bears installment, The Berenstain Bears in the Dark.[59]
  • 1996: Berenstain Bears in the Dark, Microsoft Windows game.[53]
  • 1999: Life's Little Lessons with the Berenstain Bears: Clean Up, Pick Up, and Recycle, Microsoft Windows game.[53]
  • 2000: Extreme Sports with the Berenstain Bears, video game from Sound Source Interactive for the Game Boy Color. It was included on a list of the "20 Worst Video Games Ever Made" by Electronic Gaming Monthly.[60]
  • 2001: Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree, video game for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance.[53]
  • 2005: Life's Little Lessons with the Berenstain Bears: When Little Bears are Scaredy Bears, Microsoft Windows game.[53]
  • 2006: Life's Little Lessons with the Berenstain Bears: Little Bears Make Big Helpers, Microsoft Windows game.[53]

Museum exhibits

In late 2002, an exhibit titled "The Berenstain Bears Celebrate: The Art of Stan and Jan Berenstain" opened at the James A. Michener Art Museum in the Berenstains' home of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and timed to coincide with the release of the Berenstains' memoir Down A Sunny Dirt Road, the exhibit provided a retrospective of the couple's artwork, influences and techniques, as well as the evolution of their famous bears. The exhibit was subsequently hosted by the Rockwell Museum in 2003.[61][62][63][64][65]

In 2005, the Lied Discovery Children's Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, opened "Growing Up With the Berenstain Bears", an exhibition offering children the chance to experience life-size versions of Bear Country landmarks. The Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative and the Berenstains themselves assisted in the exhibit's development.[66] The exhibition visited eight other museums in the United States and Canada before returning to Lied Discovery Children's Museum in 2010.[67][68][69][70]

The National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, is host to a permanent exhibit, "The Berenstain Bears – Down a Sunny Dirt Road". Opened in 2008, the original exhibition features interactive 3D playsets such as Mama Bear's Quilt Shop, Papa Bear's Woodworking Shop, and Dr. Bearson's Dentist Office.[71][72]

Stage show

The off-Broadway musical The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical debuted in June 2011 at MMAC (Manhattan Movie and Arts Center) in New York City, after having toured the country in an earlier version. Originally scheduled to run from June to September 4, the show was extended through October and subsequently moved to the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theatre for an open-ended run.[73] The show was produced by Berenstain fan Matt Murphy, whose previous work included Memphis and Altar Boyz.[74] Improper Magazine called it "a genuinely enjoyable and enriching experience for kids", while The New York Times said that "little theatergoers will enjoy the actors" but the story was "a bit too tidy and tame".[21][75]

Cancelled feature film

A planned Berenstain Bears feature film adaptation was announced in 2009 by Walden Media and director Shawn Levy, whose company 21 Laps would produce the film. The project was envisioned as a comedy with both live action and animated elements, and an original storyline that would combine details from several Berenstain books. "I'd like the film to be un-ironic about its family connections but have a wry comedic sensibility that isn't oblivious to the fact that they're bears", Levy said. Comparing it to the film Elf, Levy said he thought the Berenstain Bears film would be "witty but never sarcastic".[76] As of January 2012, the project was reportedly in the script phase,[77] but the company's option has since expired.

Social issues

In 2007, the Berenstain Bears became the "spokesbears" for Prevent Child Abuse America. Said PCA America President and CEO Jim Hmurovich: "This is a great example of a socially conscious and child-focused business taking a stand on an issue that has great consequences for all of us. This helps us begin having a more honest conversation about how each of us has a role to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation's children."[78]

The Berenstains were approached by former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, who asked them to write an anti-smoking book for children. They declined, but the idea did lead to a 1988 book about peer pressure, The Berenstain Bears and the Double Dare.[10] In 1997, they published The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the Sinister Smoke Ring; Florida governor Lawton Chiles purchased 600,000 copies of the book to distribute to children as part of his anti-smoking campaign.[79]

Beginning in 2008, a number of Berenstain Bears titles of a specifically religious nature have been released by Mike Berenstain. These include The Berenstain Bears: God Loves You, The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers and a Berenstain Bears Bible – Complete New International Reader's Version written at a third-grade reading level. The titles are part of a series called Living Lights and are published by the Christian company Zondervan and HarperCollins.[80]

In August 2012, the publishers of the series faced controversy regarding the fast food restaurant Chick-fil-A's plan to distribute titles in the series as part of a kids' meal promotion, with gay rights advocates urging the publishers to pull out of the promotion, due to the Chick-fil-A founder's controversial statements regarding same-sex marriage. HarperCollins went ahead with the promotion, stating that it was not their "practice to cancel a contract with an author, or any other party, for exercising their first amendment rights."[81]

Other products

In the 1980s, the prominent vaccine manufacturer Lederle Laboratories licensed the Berenstain Bears for a promotional campaign encouraging children to get vaccinated. As part of the campaign, Lederle distributed Berenstain Bears stuffed animals and books to every pediatrician's office in the United States.[35]

In the 1990s and 2000s, many Cedar Fair theme parks, including Cedar Point, featured kids' play areas called "Berenstain Bear Country" that were themed to the franchise. The Berenstain Bears could also be found at the parks as costumed characters.[82][83][84][85][86]

A musical album titled The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas: The Musical! was released by Good Mood Records in 2006. Adapted from the 2003 book The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas, the album teamed the Berenstains with the father-son composing team of Elliot Lawrence and Jamie Broza, the former of whom composed music for the holiday television specials and original television series.[87]

Other products that have featured the Berenstain Bears include clothing, Happy Meals, cereal, chocolate, crackers, greeting cards, puzzles, embroidery kits, and notepads.[3][10][20][35]

Name confusion

Many people incorrectly remember the name of the series as the "Berenstein Bears". This confusion has generated multiple explanations of the memories, including an unannounced name change, time travel, or parallel universes, and has been described as an instance of the Mandela effect.[88][89][90][91] According to Mike Berenstain, confusion over the name has existed since his father's childhood, when a teacher told him there was no such name as "Berenstain" and the correct spelling was "Bernstein".[92] A few examples of the "Berenstein" spelling have been found in references to and knockoffs of official merchandise[93] and publications,[94] and cartoons for the series used an ambiguous pronunciation which may contribute to the false memory.[95]

References

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External links

April 11, 2024
berenstain, bears, other, uses, disambiguation, children, literature, franchise, created, late, stan, berenstain, continued, their, mike, berenstain, assumed, partial, authorship, 2002, full, authorship, 2012, following, mother, passing, books, feature, family. For other uses see Berenstain Bears disambiguation The Berenstain Bears is a children s literature franchise created by the late Stan and Jan Berenstain and continued by their son Mike Berenstain who assumed partial authorship in 2002 and full authorship in 2012 following his mother s passing The books feature a family of anthropomorphic grizzly bears who generally learn a moral or safety related lesson in the course of each story Berenstain BearsThe Berenstain Bears Papa top left Mama top right Brother bottom left Sister bottom right Honey center AuthorStan and Jan Berenstain 1962 2012 Mike Berenstain 2012 present IllustratorStan and Jan BerenstainMike BerenstainCover artistStan and Jan BerenstainMike BerenstainCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishGenreChildren s literaturePublisherRandom House HarperPublished1962 presentNo of books400Since the 1962 debut of the first Berenstain Bears book The Big Honey Hunt the series has grown to over 400 titles which have sold approximately 260 million copies in 23 languages 1 The Berenstain Bears franchise has also expanded well beyond the books encompassing television series and a wide variety of other products and licenses While enjoying decades of popularity and receiving numerous awards the series has been criticized for its perceived saccharine tone and formulaic storytelling 2 Contents 1 History 2 Characters and themes 3 Books 4 Reception 4 1 Criticism 4 2 Awards and praise 5 Franchise 5 1 Television 5 2 Software and video games 5 3 Museum exhibits 5 4 Stage show 5 5 Cancelled feature film 5 6 Social issues 5 7 Other products 6 Name confusion 7 References 8 External linksHistoryStanley Berenstain and Janice Grant met in 1941 on their first day of drawing class at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art where they formed an immediate bond 3 4 5 After being separated during World War II during which Stan served in the Army as a medical illustrator and Janice worked as a drafter for the United States Army Corps of Engineers and an aircraft riveter they were reunited and married in 1946 3 While initially working as art teachers the Berenstains pursued a joint career in cartooning and gradually found success working together on illustrations humorous sketches and cover art for publications including The Saturday Review of Literature Collier s McCall s Good Housekeeping and The Saturday Evening Post 3 4 6 In 1951 they published Berenstains Baby Book 7 a humorous how to aimed at adults and based on their experiences raising their infant son Leo in downtown Philadelphia 5 Nearly two dozen other books followed described by Stan as cartoon essays the titles included Marital Blitz How To Teach Your Children About Sex Without Making A Complete Fool of Yourself 8 and Have A Baby My Wife Just Had A Cigar 9 5 In the early 1960s the Berenstains sought to enter the field of writing for young children 3 For their first children s book they chose to cast bears as the main characters primarily because bears are furry and appealing 3 5 Stan also observed that female bears are terrifyingly good mothers while the males are lousy fathers 5 The Berenstains did not consider the similarity to their last name in making the choice 5 10 In their 2002 memoir they said that they knew from the start that their book would have three characters a bluff overenthusiastic Papa Bear who wore bib overalls and a plaid shirt and a wise Mama Bear who wore a blue dress with white polka dots and a bright lively little cub 6 The Berenstains first bear story titled Freddy Bear s Spanking arrived on the desk of Theodor Geisel better known as Dr Seuss who had found phenomenal success in 1957 with The Cat in the Hat and was now editor of a Random House series called Beginner Books 10 Geisel took on the manuscript but spent the next two years ruthlessly challenging the Berenstains to make improvements to the writing and structure and to connect with their characters on a deeper level 1 10 11 He asked questions such as What kind of pipe tobacco does Papa Bear smoke and urged them to analyze the relationship between Papa Bear and Small Bear to which Stan responded mystified Well he s the father and he s the son however Jan attributed the inspiration for the characters dynamic to the 1931 film The Champ 3 5 nbsp The Big Honey Hunt in its original 1962 publication left and its 2002 reissueThe book was finally published in 1962 under the title The Big Honey Hunt with no plans to revisit the bears in a sequel 5 10 Geisel had told the Berenstains to feature a different animal in their next story as there are already too many bears Sendak s got some kind of bear There s Yogi Bear the Three Bears Smokey Bear the Chicago Bears for your next book you should do something as different from bears as possible 6 They had started work on a new project featuring a penguin when Geisel called and told them We re selling the hell out of the bear book 5 6 The second bear book The Bike Lesson appeared in 1964 featuring the names Stan and Jan Berenstain instead of Stanley and Janice Geisel had changed the credit without consulting them Geisel was also responsible for adding the name Berenstain Bears to the covers of the book 5 6 12 13 Over the next several decades Stan and Jan collaborated on hundreds of books from their home studio outside Philadelphia 1 6 After developing a storyline together one of them usually Stan would develop a first draft which the other would then refine into an 1100 word manuscript They also worked together on the illustrations 5 In 2002 the couple released a memoir of their career titled Down A Sunny Dirt Road 6 Their sons Leo and Mike also entered the family business Mike became a published author and illustrator starting in 1976 and Leo published a book of short stories in 1992 10 In the 1990s the men worked on the Berenstain Bears Big Chapter Book series published under the names Stan and Jan Berenstain 10 Following Stan s death from lymphoma in 2005 Mike collaborated with his mother on writing and illustrating Berenstain Bears installments while Leo has been involved with the business side of the franchise 1 Jan Berenstain died in February 2012 following a stroke 14 15 Mike Berenstain continues to write and illustrate new books in the series 16 and has incorporated faith based themes in recent years 17 Characters and themesMain article List of Berenstain Bears characters The Berenstain Bears who reside in a big treehouse down a sunny dirt road deep in Bear Country consists of Papa Bear an over eager bumbling carpenter wise Mama Bear a housewife and perfectionist and their children Brother Bear originally Small Bear and later additions Sister Bear and Honey Bear 3 10 18 Sister Bear was introduced in the 1974 book The Berenstain Bears New Baby Honey Bear s imminent arrival was announced in early 2000 in The Birds the Bees and the Berenstain Bears along with a reader contest to name the new bear her birth was featured later that year in The Berenstain Bears and Baby Makes Five 18 19 The early Beginner Books about the bears generally follow a basic formula so described by the Berenstains Papa sets out to instruct Small Bear in some aspect of the art of living and ends up badly the worse for wear with Small Bear expressing his appreciation for the fine lesson Papa has taught him 6 According to The Washington Post s Paul Farhi The action usually starts when the kids face a problem They turn to Papa who offers a solution that only makes the problem or the kids fears about it even worse Enter Mama who eventually sets everyone straight 20 The litany of issues confronted by the Berenstain Bears over their fifty years of publication includes bullying messiness poor sportsmanship visiting the dentist online safety and childhood obesity among countless others 1 5 21 The Berenstains often drew inspiration from their own family experiences which Stan credited for the series continued relevance Kids still tell fibs and they mess up their rooms and they still throw tantrums in the supermarket Nobody gets shot No violence There are problems but they re the kind of typical family problems everyone goes through 4 11 The couple also pointed out in response to criticism of the characterization of Papa and Mama Bear that the characters were heavily inspired by Stan and Jan Berenstain themselves 5 10 BooksMain article List of Berenstain Bears booksReceptionThe Berenstain Bears series had sold over 240 million copies by 2003 Of their books 35 are in the Publishers Weekly top 250 titles of all time and 15 are in the top 100 children s paperbacks 22 The series has received praise and awards for its contributions to children s literature 23 as well as condemnation for promoting outdated gender roles simplistic and unrealistic messages and not keeping up with the times 15 Criticism Critics of the series have called it syrupy unsatisfying infuriatingly formulaic hokey abominable and little more than stern lectures dressed up as children s stories 2 10 24 25 In a 1989 editorial titled Drown the Berenstain Bears The Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer lamented the popularity of the books writing that it is not just the smugness and complacency of the stories that is so irritating but the bears themselves particularly the post feminist Papa Bear the Alan Alda of grizzlies a wimp so passive and fumbling he makes Dagwood Bumstead look like Batman He described Mama Bear as the final flowering of the grade school prissy the one with perfect posture and impeccable handwriting and now you have to visit her every night The reason is of course that kids love them My boy 4 cannot get enough of these bears 26 Upon the death of Stan Berenstain in 2005 The Washington Post published an Appreciation piece which many Post readers found surprisingly unappreciative in its tone Written by Paul Farhi who had previously rebuked the Berenstain Bears as the most popular example of a lamentable and misguided self help genre aimed at children 2 the 2005 piece revived his earlier sentiments The larger questions about the popularity of the Berenstain Bears are more troubling Is this what we really want from children s books in the first place a world filled with scares and neuroses and problems to be toughed out and solved And if it is aren t the Berenstain Bears simply teaching to the test providing a lesson to be spit back rather than one lived and understood and embraced Where is the warmth the spirit of discovery and imagination in Bear Country Stan Berenstain taught a million lessons to children but subtlety and plain old joy weren t among them 20 Subsequent letters from readers condemned Farhi for expressing such harshness toward the recently deceased one wrote In the name of fairness please be sure to allow the Berenstain family the opportunity to someday retort in Farhi s obituary 27 Readers also defended the books warmth and their enduring popularity among young children 27 28 Slate s Hanna Rosin drew criticism for the writing of Jan Berenstain s death As any right thinking mother will agree good riddance Among my set of mothers the series is known mostly as the one that makes us dread the bedtime routine the most Rosin subsequently apologized and admitted she was not really thinking of Berenstain as a person with actual feelings and a family just an abstraction who happened to write these books 29 30 Awards and praise The Berenstain Bears series has been awarded the Ludington Award from the Educational Paperback Association for their contribution to children s literature the Drexel Citation from Drexel University several Philadelphia Literary Children s Roundtable Honors and many other state reading association awards 22 23 31 32 33 Following Jan Berenstain s death in 2012 acclaimed children s author Jerry Spinelli said that the Berenstains made a wonderful and lasting contribution to children s literature Author and professor Donna Jo Napoli said Those bears have helped so many children through so many kinds of challenges that kids face in such a cheerful and kind of energetic way 14 The Washington Post s Alexandra Petri wrote that the books were timeless timely and kind hearted like all the best literature and acknowledged the Post s 1989 piece by saying This is one of the times the kids have the right idea and Charles Krauthammer does not 34 FranchiseSince the Berenstain Bears creation the characters have been widely licensed for a broad array of products The franchise exploded in size in the 1980s when King Features began aggressively promoting the Bears to marketers amidst a surge in popularity following a series of animated television specials As of 1983 the Berenstain Bears had been licensed to approximately 40 companies for more than 150 types of products with projected annual sales of 50 million 35 Television nbsp From top the 1979 special The Berenstain Bears Christmas Tree the 1985 series the 2003 series The Berenstain Bears first appeared on television in five animated specials on NBC airing as follows 10 12 35 The Berenstain Bears Christmas Tree December 3 1979 36 37 The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw November 20 1980 38 The Berenstain Bears Easter Surprise April 14 1981 39 The Berenstain Bears Valentine Special promotional title broadcast as The Berenstain Bears Comic Valentine and released on home video as The Berenstain Bears and Cupid s Surprise February 13 1982 40 41 The Berenstain Bears Littlest Leaguer also called The Berenstain Bears Play Ball May 6 1983 42 43 The first special starred Ron McLarty Gabriela Glatzer Jonathan Lewis and Pat Lysinger as Papa Sister Brother and Mama respectively Most reprised their roles in the subsequent specials From 1985 through 1987 an animated series titled The Berenstain Bears Show aired as part of CBS Saturday morning cartoon block 44 45 46 47 The series was nominated in 1987 for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children s Programming it was also nominated that year for a Humanitas Prize in the category of Non Prime Time Children s Animated Show 48 49 A second TV series also called The Berenstain Bears debuted on PBS in 2003 The series was produced by the Canadian company Nelvana and consisted of 40 30 minute episodes adapted from the books 11 12 However the series are considered separate adaptations and were never aired together Even though the 2003 series is not a remake but a continuation of the episodes some characters personalities changed while other characters no longer appeared However new characters appeared The original specials and TV series have a rustic design and interaction with other forest animals while the Nelvana series completely embraced rural life with slower timing Although Canadian laws required Nelvana to employ only Canadian writers and artists the Berenstains provided detailed reviews of each script They also sought to exert their influence on some details according to Stan Our bears don t wear shoes and Papa wouldn t wear his hat in the house And we try to keep complete total banality out of the stories 11 Common practicalities of animation did force some minor costume changes from the books such as eliminating polka dots and plaids This issue also occurred in previous animated series and specials Only a limited amount of polka dots was allowed in the five specials 12 The show s theme song is performed by Lee Ann Womack 12 In 2011 20 episodes of the Nelvana series were dubbed in the Native American Lakota language and began airing on public television in North and South Dakota under the title Matȟo Wauŋsila Thiwahe The Compassionate Bear Family The translated series was a collaboration of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and the nonprofit Lakota Language Consortium with Mike Berenstain and Nelvana waiving all licensing fees for the venture The Berenstain Bears is the first animated series to be translated into a Native American language in the United States 50 51 Software and video games Several computer games and other software adaptations of the Berenstain Bears books have been released including the following 1983 Berenstain Bears by Coleco for the Atari 2600 gaming system A rare and collectible cartridge that was playable only with the KidVid controller accessory 52 1990 Berenstain Bears Learn About Counting MS DOS game to teach counting 53 54 55 1990 Berenstain Bears Junior Jigsaw MS DOS game featuring putting together a simple jigsaw puzzle 53 1991 Berenstain Bears Fun With Colors MS DOS game that teaches basic colors 53 1992 Berenstain Bears Learning Essentials MS DOS game that teaches pre school knowledge 53 1993 Berenstain Bears On Their Own And You On Your Own a CD i game 53 1993 The Berenstain Bears Learning At Home Volume 1 computer software from Compton s New Media Noted for requiring a whopping 20 megabytes of hard disk space 56 1993 Berenstain Bears Treehouse Classroom MS DOS game 53 1993 The Berenstain Bears Learning At Home Volume 2 computer software from Compton s New Media 53 1994 Berenstain Bears Learn About Letters computer software from Softprime Inc Reviewed by The New York Times as mediocre 57 1994 The Berenstain Bears Camping Adventure video game for the Game Gear and Sega Genesis platforms as part of their Sega Club children s lineup citation needed 1994 Berenstain Bears A School Day a video game for the Sega Pico 53 1995 The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight computer software from Random House Broderbund as part of the Living Books series An animated point and click adaptation of the book of the same name featuring a brief video interview with the Berenstains The Milwaukee Journal said The quality of the disc s illustrations and the bluegrass banjo soundtrack by Tony Furtado are first rate 58 Living Books later released a second Berenstain Bears installment The Berenstain Bears in the Dark 59 1996 Berenstain Bears in the Dark Microsoft Windows game 53 1999 Life s Little Lessons with the Berenstain Bears Clean Up Pick Up and Recycle Microsoft Windows game 53 2000 Extreme Sports with the Berenstain Bears video game from Sound Source Interactive for the Game Boy Color It was included on a list of the 20 Worst Video Games Ever Made by Electronic Gaming Monthly 60 2001 Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree video game for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance 53 2005 Life s Little Lessons with the Berenstain Bears When Little Bears are Scaredy Bears Microsoft Windows game 53 2006 Life s Little Lessons with the Berenstain Bears Little Bears Make Big Helpers Microsoft Windows game 53 Museum exhibits In late 2002 an exhibit titled The Berenstain Bears Celebrate The Art of Stan and Jan Berenstain opened at the James A Michener Art Museum in the Berenstains home of Bucks County Pennsylvania Organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge Massachusetts and timed to coincide with the release of the Berenstains memoir Down A Sunny Dirt Road the exhibit provided a retrospective of the couple s artwork influences and techniques as well as the evolution of their famous bears The exhibit was subsequently hosted by the Rockwell Museum in 2003 61 62 63 64 65 In 2005 the Lied Discovery Children s Museum in Las Vegas Nevada opened Growing Up With the Berenstain Bears an exhibition offering children the chance to experience life size versions of Bear Country landmarks The Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative and the Berenstains themselves assisted in the exhibit s development 66 The exhibition visited eight other museums in the United States and Canada before returning to Lied Discovery Children s Museum in 2010 67 68 69 70 The National Museum of Play in Rochester New York is host to a permanent exhibit The Berenstain Bears Down a Sunny Dirt Road Opened in 2008 the original exhibition features interactive 3D playsets such as Mama Bear s Quilt Shop Papa Bear s Woodworking Shop and Dr Bearson s Dentist Office 71 72 Stage show The off Broadway musical The Berenstain Bears LIVE in Family Matters the Musical debuted in June 2011 at MMAC Manhattan Movie and Arts Center in New York City after having toured the country in an earlier version Originally scheduled to run from June to September 4 the show was extended through October and subsequently moved to the Marjorie S Deane Little Theatre for an open ended run 73 The show was produced by Berenstain fan Matt Murphy whose previous work included Memphis and Altar Boyz 74 Improper Magazine called it a genuinely enjoyable and enriching experience for kids while The New York Times said that little theatergoers will enjoy the actors but the story was a bit too tidy and tame 21 75 Cancelled feature film A planned Berenstain Bears feature film adaptation was announced in 2009 by Walden Media and director Shawn Levy whose company 21 Laps would produce the film The project was envisioned as a comedy with both live action and animated elements and an original storyline that would combine details from several Berenstain books I d like the film to be un ironic about its family connections but have a wry comedic sensibility that isn t oblivious to the fact that they re bears Levy said Comparing it to the film Elf Levy said he thought the Berenstain Bears film would be witty but never sarcastic 76 As of January 2012 the project was reportedly in the script phase 77 but the company s option has since expired Social issues In 2007 the Berenstain Bears became the spokesbears for Prevent Child Abuse America Said PCA America President and CEO Jim Hmurovich This is a great example of a socially conscious and child focused business taking a stand on an issue that has great consequences for all of us This helps us begin having a more honest conversation about how each of us has a role to prevent the abuse and neglect of our nation s children 78 The Berenstains were approached by former U S Surgeon General C Everett Koop who asked them to write an anti smoking book for children They declined but the idea did lead to a 1988 book about peer pressure The Berenstain Bears and the Double Dare 10 In 1997 they published The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the Sinister Smoke Ring Florida governor Lawton Chiles purchased 600 000 copies of the book to distribute to children as part of his anti smoking campaign 79 Beginning in 2008 a number of Berenstain Bears titles of a specifically religious nature have been released by Mike Berenstain These include The Berenstain Bears God Loves You The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers and a Berenstain Bears Bible Complete New International Reader s Version written at a third grade reading level The titles are part of a series called Living Lights and are published by the Christian company Zondervan and HarperCollins 80 In August 2012 the publishers of the series faced controversy regarding the fast food restaurant Chick fil A s plan to distribute titles in the series as part of a kids meal promotion with gay rights advocates urging the publishers to pull out of the promotion due to the Chick fil A founder s controversial statements regarding same sex marriage HarperCollins went ahead with the promotion stating that it was not their practice to cancel a contract with an author or any other party for exercising their first amendment rights 81 Other products In the 1980s the prominent vaccine manufacturer Lederle Laboratories licensed the Berenstain Bears for a promotional campaign encouraging children to get vaccinated As part of the campaign Lederle distributed Berenstain Bears stuffed animals and books to every pediatrician s office in the United States 35 In the 1990s and 2000s many Cedar Fair theme parks including Cedar Point featured kids play areas called Berenstain Bear Country that were themed to the franchise The Berenstain Bears could also be found at the parks as costumed characters 82 83 84 85 86 A musical album titled The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas The Musical was released by Good Mood Records in 2006 Adapted from the 2003 book The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas the album teamed the Berenstains with the father son composing team of Elliot Lawrence and Jamie Broza the former of whom composed music for the holiday television specials and original television series 87 Other products that have featured the Berenstain Bears include clothing Happy Meals cereal chocolate crackers greeting cards puzzles embroidery kits and notepads 3 10 20 35 Name confusionMany people incorrectly remember the name of the series as the Berenstein Bears This confusion has generated multiple explanations of the memories including an unannounced name change time travel or parallel universes and has been described as an instance of the Mandela effect 88 89 90 91 According to Mike Berenstain confusion over the name has existed since his father s childhood when a teacher told him there was no such name as Berenstain and the correct spelling was Bernstein 92 A few examples of the Berenstein spelling have been found in references to and knockoffs of official merchandise 93 and publications 94 and cartoons for the series used an ambiguous pronunciation which may contribute to the false memory 95 References a b c d e Loviglio Joann January 30 2011 50 Years Along Berenstain Bears A Family Affair Washington Times Retrieved July 7 2013 a b c Farhi Paul Keyahias Lisa September 3 1989 The New Children s Books Grimmer than Grimm The Washington Post p C05 a b c d e f g h Martin Douglas November 30 2005 Stan Berenstain Co Creator of Those Fuzzy Bears Dies at 82 The New York Times a b c Berenstain Bears Creator Dies CBS News February 11 2009 a b c d e f g h i j k l m Mehren Elizabeth February 1 1995 The Bear Facts Los Angeles Times a b c d e f g h Asim Jabari November 24 2002 Bear Necessities The Washington Post p BW06 Berenstain Stan Berenstain Jan June 1984 Berenstains Baby Book Pocket Books ISBN 9780671496296 Berenstain Stan Berenstain Jan July 1984 How To Teach Your Children About Sex Without Making A Complete Fool of Yourself Random House Publishing ISBN 9780345319715 Berenstain Stan Berenstain Jan September 9 2021 Have a Baby My Wife Just Had a Cigar Creative Media Partners LLC ISBN 9781013568855 a b c d e f g h i j k l Weeks Linton May 13 1996 The Bear Essentials The Washington Post a b c d Shattuck Kathryn January 5 2003 For Young Viewers The Family Next Door Furry and Full of Fun The New York Times a b c d e Gillies Judith S January 4 2003 Grin n Bear it The Berenstains come to WTTW The Washington Post Berenstain Stan Berenstain Jan 1964 The bike lesson Random House Children s Books ISBN 9780375983276 a b Schaffer Michael D Reed Bill February 28 2012 A bear hug farewell to Jan Berenstain cocreator of the Bear family Philadelphia Inquirer Archived from the original on March 1 2012 a b Langer Emily February 27 2012 Jan Berenstain co creator of the Berenstain Bears children s books dies at 88 The Washington Post Bartlett Jaye February 5 2012 Mike Berenstain talks about the Berenstain Bears 50th anniversary The Celebrity Cafe Archived from the original on May 3 2012 Berenstain Bears Author Uses Talents for God in Faith Inspired Series June 14 2011 a b Stevens Heidi August 19 2011 Berenstain Bears remain faithful Chicago Tribune Roback Diane Brown Jennifer M March 13 2000 Name the baby Publishers Weekly 247 11 a b c Farhi Paul December 1 2005 Stan Berenstain s Honey Coated Medicine The Washington Post p C1 a b Graeber Laurel July 10 2011 Bears With a Treehouse And Tidy Tales for Children The New York Times a b Jan Berenstain Archived from the original on May 15 2013 a b Teaching Tools Resources for Teachers from Scholastic scholastic com Olney Kathryn February 2 1999 Bearly there Salon Kochakian Mary Jo August 11 1998 The Berenstains Would Be Fine If Papa Bear Had A Bigger Brain Hartford Courant Krauthammer Charles August 18 1989 Drown the Berenstain Bears The Washington Post a b Beating Up on Stan Berenstain The Washington Post December 10 2005 Archived from the original on November 13 2012 Retrieved April 30 2023 Unappreciated The Washington Post December 2 2005 Rosin Hanna February 27 2012 Berenstain Bores Slate Lawson Richard February 28 2012 On The Berenstain Bears and When to Say Nothing at All The Atlantic Wire EBMA Berenstein Stan and Jan bio edupaperback org Awards amp Appointments Stan and Jan Berenstain Bucks County Artists Doylestown Pennsylvania Michener Art Museum July 24 2015 Archived from the original on July 24 2015 Retrieved May 21 2021 The iSchool at Drexel University Archived from the original on January 17 2014 Petri Alexandra February 27 2012 Thank you Jan Berenstain for the Bears The Washington Post a b c d Kleinfield N R October 24 1983 A Rush To License Berenstain Bears The New York Times p D1 TV Week Lewiston Morning Tribune November 30 1979 p 7F Previews The Evening Independent December 3 1979 p 11 B Shaw Jane December 2 1980 Christmas tree is focus of Berenstain Bears newest adventure Pittsburgh Post Gazette p 32 Bobbin Jay April 11 1981 The Berenstain Bears Easter Surprise The Lewiston Journal p 3 Berger Leslie The TV Column The Washington Post February 13 1983 p C6 Sutton Charlotte The TV Column The Washington Post February 11 1984 p G10 Trebbe Ann L The TV Column The Washington Post May 6 1983 p B12 Dimich Carol The TV Column The Washington Post May 19 1984 p C6 The new Saturday morning lineup The Washington Post August 18 1985 p MI4 Margulies Lee May 1 1986 CBS Adds 4 Series to Children s Slate The Los Angeles Times Brennan Patricia September 8 1985 Redskins Hell Town Golden Girls The Washington Post p 3 Berenstain Bears Hulk Hogan Tossed Off CBS Schedule Akron Beacon Journal April 27 1987 p B4 Carmody John The TV Column The Washington Post May 11 1987 p B8 Winners To Be Honored July 7 Humanitas Finalists Announced The Los Angeles Times June 25 1987 Zerbisias Antonia September 23 2011 Can dubbing a cartoon help save a language Toronto Star Berenstain Bears Reconnect Sioux To Native Language NPR September 26 2011 AtariAge Atari 2600 Berenstain Bears Coleco atariage com a b c d e f g h i j k l m Berenstain Bears Video Games and Computer Software July 7 2015 Lynch Dennis September 27 1991 Educational Programs for the Computer Chicago Tribune Retrieved October 28 2020 Cazet Donna Maurer April 1991 The Berenstain Bears Learn about Counting Technology amp Learning Vol 11 no 7 Shannon L R June 22 1993 Help on Screen for Dad Or a Parent in Waiting The New York Times Rose Frederick April 28 1994 Computers Kids computer programs try to teach like humans and increasingly succeed The New York Times Gelmis Joseph July 20 1995 Berenstain Bears debut on CD ROM The Milwaukee Journal p 2E Archived from the original on July 11 2012 Ghee Lim Chong April 13 1998 Learning with Berenstain Bears New Straits Times p 37 Extreme Sports with The Berenstain Bears IGN Donohoe Victoria December 1 2002 Exhibit celebrates 40 years of the Berenstain Bears Philadelphia Inquirer Auspitz Debra October 24 2002 Stan and Jan s Plan Philadelphia City Paper Archived from the original on July 1 2012 Retrieved August 3 2021 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link The Berenstain Bears Celebrate The Art of Stan and Jan Berenstain Resource Library Magazine January 22 2003 Archived from the original on August 8 2011 The Berenstain Bears Celebrate The Art of Stan and Jan Berenstain Norman Rockwell Museum Archived from the original on March 31 2012 The Berenstain Bears Celebrate The Art of Stan and Jan Berenstain James A Michener Art Museum Archived from the original on November 18 2002 Growing Up with the Berenstain Bears Exhibit A Design Growing Up With The Berenstain Bears Opens At The Children s Museum of Memphis PR Newswire January 2 2007 Archived from the original on April 2 2012 Retrieved September 20 2011 For Children The New York Times January 5 2007 White Ken May 25 2005 Visit to Bear Country Las Vegas Review Journal p 51J Berenstain Bears Back To Visit Children s Museum Las Vegas Review Journal March 11 2010 p 3E Rezsnyak Eric April 23 2008 EXHIBITS The Berenstain Bears Rochester City Newspaper The Berenstain Bears Down a Sunny Dirt Road National Museum of Play Archived from the original on November 3 2011 Retrieved October 26 2011 Gioia Michael October 20 2011 Berenstain Bears LIVE Will Transfer to Off Broadway s Marjorie S Deane for Open Ended Run Playbill Archived from the original on October 21 2011 Kennedy Mark August 5 2011 Children s musicals find a happy home in New York The Washington Post Weiner Iris July 25 2011 Berenstain Bears Come Alive in Off Broadway Musical The Improper Archived from the original on August 17 2011 Retrieved September 20 2011 Breznican Anthony November 6 2009 The beloved Berenstain Bears meet the big screen USA Today Goldmeier Jeremy January 20 2012 Berenstain Bears illustrator views Hendrick Children s Hospital depictions of family book characters Reporter News Abilene Texas Archived from the original on September 11 2012 Berenstain Bears Take a Bold Stand on a Difficult Issue as New Spokesbears for PCA America PR Newswire April 18 2007 Bayles Tom May 28 1998 Bear Book Discourages Kids Smoking Ocala Star Banner p 2B Samuel Stephanie June 14 2011 Berenstain Bears Author Uses Talents for God in Faith Inspired Series The Christian Post Goddard Jacqui August 13 2012 Gay rights come to Toy Town as Chick fil A battle continues The Telegraph Archived from the original on August 12 2012 Duckett Jodi July 2 1995 Families Making Tracks To Dorney s Bear Country The Morning Call Granelli James S October 22 1997 Knotts Agree to Sell Park Los Angeles Times O Neil L Peat May 3 1992 Bear Watching The Washington Post Kraft Randy May 5 2000 Anything But Tame Mighty Wild Mouse Camp Snoopy Pace Dorney Park Opening The Morning Call Valleyfair attraction caters to kids Minneapolis Star Tribune May 19 2004 Zipp Yvonne December 1 2006 Noteworthy new Christmas music The Christian Science Monitor This Crazy Conspiracy Theory About The Berenstein Bears Will Make You Question Everything You Know November 2018 How you spell The Berenstain Bears could be proof of parallel universes News August 10 2015 Your Whole Life Is a Lie It s BerenstAin Bears Not BerenstEin Bears Yahoo August 14 2015 Russell Smith August 14 2015 Berenstain Bears debate is a case of Schrodinger s nostalgia The Globe and Mail Jake Edmiston August 12 2015 Don t be ridiculous it was always spelled Berenstain Bears says son of series creators National Post Berenstein Bears Proof Did Reddit Prove the Mandela Effect Heavy com August 5 2016 Proof The Berenstein Bears berensteinbears weebly com Chaz Kangas August 12 2015 We Figured Out the Reason for All This Berenstain Bears Confusion complex com pop culture External linksBerenstain Bears official site Berenstain Bears at PBS Kids Berenstain Bears at Don Markstein s Toonopedia Archived from the original on February 22 2018 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org 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