Customer Reviews (1)

From the back of the book . . . .
Trouble in Bear Country?It's the Berenstain Bear Scouts to the rescue!

Giant Bat Cave has been a home to Bear Country's bats for millions of years.But now crooked Ralph Ripoff wants to turn the cave into an underground theme park!

Can the Bear Scouts "save the cave" before the bats become homeless? ... Read more

Product Description
Miniature version of the book in paperback. ... Read more

Product Description
Ralph Ripoff has a get-rich-quick scheme to bring gambling to Bear Country. Can the Bear Scouts warn everyone that the slot machines are rigged before the town goes broke?. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Shocked - Not for children
My five year old received this book as a gift.We were reading it together at bedtime, only making it through the first chapter. I was appalled that such adult subject matter would be presented to children under the guise of "doing the right thing".Such topics as riverboat gambling, slots, blackjack, cheating, lying, and bribery all are discusses with in the first four pages.Scholastic should be ashamed to tarnish the Berenstain Bears' image and formerly good message with the publication of this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A childhood classic...
Long before we gave any consideration to becoming parents, my brother and I discovered the Berenstains' Baby Book by Stan & Jan Berenstain. The descriptions and illustrations of parenting perils are hilarious. Therein lies a good chunk of practical information, but it goes down easy with their wry sense of humor.

For example, those who feel they are butting heads with their children should read the section on the baby game "Boom-boom-botz!"

Also memorable is the advise to parents that they should not get too excited if their children develop a taste for classical music, as they might just as easily shriek for joy upon hearing "Stick out your can, here comes the garbage man."

A common thread throughout the chapters is that while parenting is a serious business, one should not take everything too seriously.

Recommended for parents and offspring of all ages.

My New Favorite Gift for New and Expectant Parents
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.
... Read more

Product Description
Visiting Squire Grizzly's mansion, the Bear Detectives are asked to investigate the disappearance of Lady Grizzly's antiques. ... Read more

Product Description

The Bear family is all set to have a relaxing time at the shore–but that's before Papa Bear finds a treasure map! Now Papa Bear, Brother Bear and Sister Bear are diving into the task of finding the booty. Might it be silver, gold, glittering diamonds or rubies?

Customer Reviews (4)

Delightful story, more of an intermediate reader (not level one)
Though this series of An I Can Read Book is labeled as a Level 1 Beginning Reading Book, I felt that it is more of a Level 2 book because of some of the higher vocabulary used. My daughter is five-and-a-half and will start kindergarten this fall, and we both felt that these books were a step up from other level one books, for example the Step Into Reading series. Though she was able to read this book independently, I just feel parents should be aware that this book has some advanced vocabulary and complex sentence structure which beginning readers might have some difficulty with, e.g.:

"It was called Laughing Gull Island because so many laughing gulls lived there."
"It says that pirates buried their booty here."
"Pirate treasure. You know - gold, silver, diamonds, and rubies."
"Do you think those gulls are laughing at us and our treasure hunt?"

The books in the series have engaging storylines and each page has beautiful full-color illustrations. This particular title tells the story of the Berenstain family's vacation by the seashore and how Papa Bear and the cubs' go digging for 'treasure' at the seashore. I loved how the story also educates children on the different types of seashells, e.g. oyster, clam, and scallop. This is an excellent series that will motivate young children to read.

this is a level 2 at least
We love the Berenstain Bears, but this is a level 2 or better book, not a level one.It is much longer and more complicated than the level one books that we have. The story was great like all of the Berenstain Bears stories!

Vacation
We just came back from vacation at the beach and this book was great to read to both my girls.My oldest daughter read it to her younger sister.It was so nice.

Nice book, not really for storytime, however
This book is in keeping with the Berenstain Bears' adventures but it is written in such a way that it is definitely for beginning readers.Thus, not making it as easy to read during storytime for the younger set.It is a nice story about the bears going to the beach, finding a treasure map in a closet in the beach house, then trying to find the treasure.It's quite cute and would be a great first reader too.If you're reading it for storytime, however, you'll have to add a few words to make it flow.Other than that, this is another great book from the bears and we love it in this house.Highly recommend! ... Read more

Product Description
"The usually compatible Brother and Sister Bear are fighting--all day long! Mama Bear helps them realize that everyone argues once in a while, even with loved ones."--The Reading Teacher. IRA Children's Choice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great Book!
This book teaches valuable lessons to young children!I am using it as a bibliotherapy lesson for a counseling program and this is a great teaching tool.

Two boys' review: Helps parents reinforce sibling harmony
I like to bring this bedtime book out after a rough day between our 5-year old and 4-year old boys. Like the Berenstain Bears books, the story allows us to discuss the bears' behavior first and follow that up with a discussion about the boys' behavior.

For young readers, the Berenstain Bears offer an easy-to-understand storyline to which children can relate.

This is one of the better, more accessible books in the Berenstain Bears collection. We also own and recommend:

The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Chores
The Berenstain Bears Help Around the House
The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners
The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight
The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers
The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Dream

You can pick up these books at a good price through Amazon's 4-for-3 promotion. I like the soft covers, which can be rolled up as stocking stuffers.

GREAT
This book is great. It starts with Brother and Sister getting along. Then Sister has her feet in Brother's face and he gets angry. Then she runs off and hogs the bathroom. They act like total jerks to each other. Finally they make up at the end and talk to each other again.

Good for Young Children
I really enjoy reading the Berenstain Bears books to my two children (ages 5 & 7).They do a wonderful job of modeling important life lessons.This book shows how one little incident can snowball into a big fight, and sometimes even draw parents into an argument.
My only disappointment: I wish the authors had shown the cubs apologizing to each other.The story ends with, "So Brother and Sister Bear hugged and made up.And got along just beautifully-until the next time, anyway."The story shows them fighting, so it would have been better balanced if they had also modeled the "making-up" process.When the cubs realize that they don't remember what started the fight, they simply stop fighting.Mama & Papa do not have to sit through a whole "who wronged whom" session.
Anyway, it is a good springboard for discussion of "what would you do?" and "why do you think s/he did that?" with young children.I would definitely recommend it.

A great lesson!
Brother Bear and Sister Bear are in a big fight. They are not speaking to each other and if they are they don't say anything nice.

This teachs kids how even if you and a brother or sister are fighting how to work through it. It is a great book for kids! ... Read more

Product Description
When Mama turns her quilt-making hobby into a business, the Bear family worries that she won't have time for them. When everyone pitches in to help her, they realize that things aren't so different after all--and they're prouder of Mama than ever. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Good topic
Purchased this to get our seven year old ready for mom to return to work.Just like others in this series, this one is good for bedtime reading.The Berenstain Bears are our family's favorite and several appear each year for birthdays and holiday gifts.

Crazy quilts!
Mama Bear has decided she wants to open her own quilt shop because she loves to make quilts. Plus, she is very creative and tailors each quilt to fit the person. (Brother has an airplane quilt.) This book teaches little ones that you can achieve what you love to do. Just like Mama Bear.

Mama Bear rocks!!!
Unlike one of the previous readers, I am thrilled to know that Mama Bear has been able to start her own business as a quiltmaker as well as rear her children and maintain her home with Papa Bear. Because Mama is using her skills and talents as a quiltmaker, she is able to work for herself, create her own hours and still be there for the cubs; which UNTIL they are grown and on their own, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT job she could have. If she had become a "brain surgeon", she would definitely have to put her family on the backburner for patients and others.Mama is a true hero, an example of a woman who knows how to prioritize her life, and still be independent.Family first, career later.Way to go, Mama!!!!

The Greatest Book Eva
This book is a true classic. Everything about it raises the standard for all other works of literature.

Quilters will get a chuckle out of this
Like most of the Berenstain Bear books, the main subject is a matter that worries children or parents.In this case, the stay-at-home mama gets a job, classically over the objections of Papa.The children, excuse me,cubs, express their concerns about this major change and mama tells themhow she hopes to cope.Cope they do, and Mama is very happy with herdecision to open a quilting shop.

The amusing part is that Mama gets alot of quilting done as she prepares to open her shop!How does she do it? Most of us find it tough to parent two children and sew, let alone finisha half dozen quilts at the same time as we clean up a shop and organise abusiness.

The small flaws of this book, as with the rest of theBerenstain Bears books, don't discourage my daughters, and don't detractfrom the main thrust of the discussion.That is the point of this series,after all. ... Read more

Product Description
The Berenstain Bears learn an important lesson about finding and giving help in unexpected places. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

LACK OF CONTINUITY
Anyone who is a faithful follower of the Berenstain series knows that the characters of the Bogg brothers have always been portrayed as criminals. For instance, in one of the Big Chapter books -'The Berenstain Bears & The Drug Free Zone', they were drug dealers!! I guess Jan & Mike Berenstain decided to rewrite history here, either that or the Bear family chooses to break bread with known felons and are trying to get a cut of the action. Seems like ever since the son took over writing these books, they've gone downhill and lack consistency.

A Good Samaritan story told Berenstain Bear style
The Berenstain Bears Love Their Neighbors, written and illustrated by Jan and Mike Berenstain, is a book in the "Living Lights" series ofBerenstain books published by ZonderKidz.

The Berenstain Bears live in a neat tree house in Bear Country. They, and most of their neighbors around them, take pride in keeping their properties clean and well-maintained. The one exception is the house where the Boggs live. The Bogg brothers share a run-down shack not far from the Berenstain's home. The Bogg residence sports a roof that is caving in and a yard that is full of junk. They even drive a car that is as old and ratty looking as their house. The Berenstain Bears think the Boggs are a problem for the neighborhood.

One day, on the way to the Big Bear Town Festival, the Berenstain Bear's car breaks down. They are stranded along the side of the road. A car comes by, driven by Mayor Honeypot. He slows down long enough to tell them he can't stop and help them; he is in a hurry to get to the Festival as he is Master of Ceremonies for the event. Another car, driven by Squire Grizzly, also slows down, but Squire Grizzly tells them he can't stop either as he too must hurry to the Festival where he will judge the flower-arranging contest. The occupants of the third car to come down the road are the Bogg brothers. They, or course, stop and help the Berenstain Bears. The Bogg brothers tow Papa's car to a nearby garage that is run by their Uncle Zeke. Uncle Zeke not only fixes the car, he doesn't charge them for the repair. As he says, "This one is on us. After all, we're neighbors." The Berenstain's invite the Boggs to join them at the Festival, where they all have a good time.

The illustrations are the usual, colorful, cartoon-like drawings used in all the Berenstain Bear picture books. There is a section at the back of the book with questions about the story and activities for kids that relate to the story.

What I Like: In most of the Berenstain Bear picture books, one of the cubs, either Brother or Sister Bear, needs to learn a lesson about something. In this book, the parents, as well as the cubs, learn a lesson about judging others.I also like the fact that this is a Good Samaritan story, Berenstain Bears style.

What I Dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4-8.

Christine M. Irvin - Christian Children's Book Review ... Read more

Product Description
The new cub in the neighborhood, Lizzy Bruin, is the same age as Sister Bear--and she's also just as bossy. After a fight threatens their budding friendship, both cubs learn that you can't always have your own way if you want to have friends. Full-color illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Still great 20 years later
I LOVED Berenstain Bears books when I was a child and now I love reading them with my son. This one includes all the important features of these books: humor, light hearted drama, and the ever important life lesson. LOVE THESE BOOKS!

The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Friends
The trouble with 'The Trouble With Friends' is that Mama suggests that the fear of being alone is greater than confronting conflict. It's a good thing that the 'troublesome friend' suggests taking turns, which resolve the problem.

Great at helping children understand the changes of life.
My 5 year old daughter is learning about relationships with friends and this book has helped her deal with her stressors and helps her to understand how her friends might feel.

You can easily stock your library with Berenstain Bears books, they're that cheap
Tell you the truth, though, I really am not a fan of the paperbacks. I find them too long, too wordy, and, really, too moralistic.

My nieces adore them, though, so I added a star for that, and I keep buying them. (I'm a sucker, really.)

This is a great example of the books. New cub moves into the neighborhood, Sister and Lizzy become fast friends (and why does everybody in this series get a real name except for the main characters?), they fight over something silly, and eventually learn to compromise and share. Aw.

Great moral message, but kinda boring story.

It's a good book to teach your kid
It's a good book to teach your kid. they can learn taking turn is a good way . ... Read more

Product Description
This set includes 4 softcover books: Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight, Get the Gimmes, Go to School and Too Much Junk Food. The cassettes are read along narration, music & sound effects. ... Read more

Product Description
Concerned that the family is spending too much time in front of the television and neglecting other activities, Mama Bear decides that there will be no television watching for one week. ... Read more

Product Description
Now young children can read Bear Country tales all by themselves!In the

Berenstain Bears' exciting Step into Reading debut, Brother and Sister can't

wait to go swimming. But first, there are many jobs to do in the Bear Family's

summer house. There are rooms to clean, groceries to put away, closets to air

out, suitcases to unpack, and on and on. Will the cubs ever get to dip their

tootsies in the sea?




... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

the Berenstain Bears, to funny
The book called By the Sea is funny. It was written by Stan and Jan Berenstain. This book is funny because it describes my family in a few ways. First they go on vacation every year, so do we. Next, Mother bear says clean up before having fun. My mother would say that. This book is funny because it seems like all mama and papa bear wanted to do is wait and have fun with their kids. I don't have a favorite character because everyone in the book is my favorite. There are so many books about the berenstain Bears so go out and read them because they are funny and caring.

A fun family outing with the Bears
In "The Berenstain Bears by the Sea," co-authors Stan and Jan Berenstain take Mom, Dad, and the two cubs to a vacation by the seashore. The cartoony illustrations of the humanoid bears are visually delightful, and the easy-to-read text is great for younger readers.

Although this book is meant for an audience of young children, I must admit that, as an adult reader, I found it quite enjoyable. How can you resist lines like "May we? May we? / May we, please, / dip our tootsies / in the seas?"

This book portrays a family that genuinely enjoys spending time together. And it even teaches a lesson in the virtue of patience. This Bears romp is a great choice for the beginning reader. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the story of the Bear family's move to their now-famous tree house in Bear Country. Would Brother Bear like it? Would he find new friends? He wasn't sure until he got there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Another Great Berenstain Bears Book
This was one of the books that we read to our three year old son to help him adjust to our recent move. We made an effort to prepare him by reading books together and talking about the move. This was a hit, along with Moving House (Usborne First Experiences).

Great before a "real" move.
This is great.Bought it before we moved and 2 yr old loves the book.Will probably buy more Berenstain Bears books because she likes it so much.Colorful pictures and wordy enough, but not overly so.I like that they use more complex sentence structure than some children's books.

Great book!
This book helped my 2 daughters realize what would be included in the move. It explained that your personal belongings move with you to the new house, but your bedroom stays behind. It was beneficial to my 2 1/2 year old in explaining what "moving" meant.

A real help!!!
This book truly helped my 4 year old son understand how the whole moving thing was going to work.We moved from Ohio to NJ so the whole thing @ making new friends and missing the old ones was something he referred to a lot.The illustrations helped him visualize how the whole "cave" gets packed up and EVERYTHING (all toys etc) go to the new house.

I had a couple other moving books but this was by far the most helpful!

Great book about moving
I have to admit that I have been a fan of the Berenstain Bears since childhood.I bought this book for my 21-month-old son to help him understand an upcoming move.The text is too advanced for his short attention span but he enjoys the pictures.My husband and I showed him the pictures and told the story in our own words.It's difficult to say if this book eased our son's transition from our old house to our new.However, our move is complete and our son still enjoys looking at this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Illus. in black-and-white. Brother and Sister are sure they know who is

breaking into lockers at Bear Country School. But when it comes to finding real

proof, they're in for a big surprise.




... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Berenstain Bears and the Red-Handed Theif
When a new teacher comes to Bear Country School to teach a speacial social studies lesson, the cubs like the new teacher. In the first class the cubs laughed at Too-Tall. They just learned about "innocent until proven guilty". Brother had a sneaky feeling that Too-Tall will get back at the cubs for laughing at him. He told the cubs his idea. Lizzy said that his brother, Barry, would get it first since he laughed the most. At lunch, Barry Bruin reported that his Yogi Grizzwell and Grizzly Koufax were stolen from his locker. The next day Sister Bear's officaial Bear Scouts flashlight was stolen. They all suspected that Too-Tall or his gang did it since they were always at the bottom of these stunts. More lockers were robbed the next few days. Mr Honeycomb, the princapal, had even set up hall patrols, but they wren't much help. The vice princapal, Mr. Grizzmeyer, even called the gang to confess. But Too-Tall said they didn't have any evidence. Brother, Sister and Cousin Freddie decided to shadow Too-Tall and his gang. They shadowed him until they found him taking a box into a hallow tree in the woods. When his gang was gone they took the box. Cousin Freddie was so excited that he pulled the box away from Brother. He accidently droped it and garbage fell all over their feet. Then Too-Tall and his gang leaped out of some bushes. They shouted, "Garbage! That's what your evidence is. Garbage!". Brother's thinking place wasn't far from the hollow old tree. The place hadn't failed him yet and he didn't want this to be the first time. Sister thought up of something. Besides Too-Tall and his gangs lockers, Brother's locker is the only one that wasn't robbed. Too-Tall woundn't rob his own locker but he might to throw us off the trail. They thought about how to use Borther's locker to catch the culprit. They figured it out. They'll say that Too-Tall wouldn't rob Brother's locker because he's just plain scared of Brother Bear. They would also say the he's going to bring his Babe Bruin rookiecard to trade and keep it in his locker. They would rig up a panit bomb with the help of Squire Grizzly, president of Great Grizzly National Bank. The bank uses panit bomb to catch robbers. That morning, they set up a panit bomb in Brother's locker. The locker wasn't opened by anybody. So they knew they were doing it at night. The other day Too-Tall or his gang wasn't covered in red panit. All the cubs were there in class. They figured out that the new social studies teacher, Mr. Dweebish, was the culprit since he wasn't there. The went he his house and Mr. Dweebish was covered with red panit. He explained it was only an experiment to make Too-Tall respect class more for something he didn't do. He said he was going back to the university and will hand all the stolen goods back to Mr. Honeycomb. ... Read more

Product Description
Stuff in the closets, stuff in the drawers, stuff in the attic--too much stuff everywhere! Mama Bear convinces the family that cleaning out the house can not only simplify their cluttered lives, but also benefit those who are in need! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Great way to teach kids about caring for the less fortunate
After reading this story my kids went on donating some of their stuff to the needy.
They could really identify with the characters.

The Bears are the best.
My son loves the Berenstein Bears and what was a surprise to me was how much I like them. The stories are sweet and positive, always with a good family moral to them. We keep buying more and more of these.

Bears evaluate needs and clutter
Great book. I like their creativity for helping others and that they kids the kids involved.

Good for the beginning reader
My daugther has several of the Berenstain Bear books and she loves reading them.They have a positive message for children while keeping their attention.Even though she reads at a higher level, she still loves these books.

A Good Lesson for Families
This book tells a positive story for all families--about how we should get out of our own selfish pursuits and concerns and think about the needs of others--very highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
When the Berenstain Bears go acrobatic in BEARS ON WHEELS, pre-school children begin to relate words to pictures while learning abut numbers and counting. Bright and early books help even the youngest children get ready to read. Simple stories and basic concepts are humorously presented in rhythm and rhyme. Pictures that fully explain the text help even babies make the important connection between word and meaning. It's never too early to find out that 'Learning to read is fun'. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

How I learned to read
I learned to read by matching the words of this book with the words I had memorized from countless readings with my parents. I was one of the first readers in preschool, and I largely credit this book and so many books like it (Little Golden Books, Dr. Seuss, Berenstain Bears, etc.). Read to your children! Start with Bears on Wheels.

Great book for preschoolers
I loved this book as a child and it is wonderful to see how much my daughter also loves this book. Since she was 3 she has gotten a kick out of this classic counting book. It helped her count when she was 3, now that she is 5 she enjoys reading the book too. She gets so excited by every page and anticipates the next page. It's great for a kid with a fun sense of humor. It's like a comedy for preschoolers.

We really like this
This is one of the earlier Berenstain Bear books, and it shows. As you can see by 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 and his misadventures with his bike. The illustrations make it perfect, as he's constantly getting jumped on, or falling off, or colliding with other bears.

There are only a few words per page, with a basic vocabulary, so this one is perfect both for early readers and for little-little ones learning to talk. However, don't expect it to help your child learn to count, it's not really a good book for that. It mentions numbers, but it doesn't really mention counting, or go through the numbers consecutively.

one of my favorite books about numbers
Every time the English-as-a-second-language textbook gives a lesson on numbers, I use this book as a supplement.The kids enjoy it and find it amusing.

Counting with bears
This book is really colorful and fun for young children. It's color will really attract children who don't even like to read. The pictures contain bears riding different kinds of vehicles with wheels of course. The book really helps children learn to count because it contains phrases such as "One bear on one wheel." This book is highly recommended young children learning to read and count. ... Read more