Berenstain Bears facts for kids
The Berenstain Bears is a popular series of children's books about a family of grizzly bears. The books were created by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Later, their son, Mike Berenstain, continued writing and illustrating the stories.
The stories usually teach a moral lesson or a safety tip. The first book, The Big Honey Hunt, came out in 1962. Since then, there have been over 300 books. About 260 million copies have been sold in 23 different languages. The Berenstain Bears have also become a big franchise. This includes TV shows and many other products.
Contents
How the Berenstain Bears Started
Stanley Berenstain and Janice Grant met in 1941. They were in their first drawing class at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art. They became good friends right away. After World War II, they got married in 1946.
Stan and Jan started working together as cartoonists. They drew pictures and made funny sketches for different magazines. In 1951, they wrote a funny book for adults about raising a baby. They wrote many other humorous books for adults after that.
Creating the Bear Family
In the early 1960s, the Berenstains wanted to write books for young children. They decided to use bears as their main characters. They thought bears were appealing and easy to draw. Stan also felt that female bears were good mothers, and male bears were sometimes clumsy fathers.
Their first bear story was sent to Theodor Geisel, who is famous as Dr. Seuss. He was an editor for "Beginner Books" at Random House. Dr. Seuss liked the story but challenged the Berenstains to make it even better. He helped them think more deeply about their characters.
The first book was published in 1962. It was called The Big Honey Hunt. At first, there were no plans for more bear books. Dr. Seuss even told them to write about a different animal next. But the bear book sold very well! So, they wrote a second bear book, The Bike Lesson, in 1964. Dr. Seuss also decided to add "Berenstain Bears" to the covers of the books.
Stan and Jan wrote hundreds of books together. They would create the story, then one of them would write a first draft. The other would then make it better. They also worked together on all the pictures. In 2002, they wrote a book about their careers.
Their sons, Leo and Mike, also joined the family business. After Stan passed away in 2005, Mike worked with his mother on new Berenstain Bears books. Jan Berenstain passed away in 2012. Mike Berenstain continues to write and illustrate new books in the series today.
Meet the Bear Family
The Berenstain Bears live in a big treehouse in Bear Country. The family includes:
- Papa Bear: He is a carpenter who is sometimes clumsy but means well.
- Mama Bear: She is a wise and organized housewife. She often helps everyone solve problems.
- Brother Bear: He was the first cub in the family.
- Sister Bear: She was introduced in the 1974 book The Berenstain Bears' New Baby. Readers had asked for a girl cub.
- Honey Bear: She was born later, in the book The Berenstain Bears and Baby Makes Five.
Story Themes
Most Berenstain Bears stories follow a simple pattern. Often, the cubs face a problem. Papa Bear tries to help, but his ideas sometimes make things worse. Then, Mama Bear steps in and helps everyone find the right solution.
The books cover many everyday issues that kids face. These include things like bullying, being messy, learning good sportsmanship, visiting the dentist, and staying safe online. The Berenstains often got ideas from their own family life. Stan said that kids still have problems like telling fibs or making their rooms messy. He felt the books stayed popular because they dealt with real family issues.
The Berenstain Bears Franchise
The Berenstain Bears characters have been used for many different products. In the 1980s, the franchise became very popular. This was after several animated TV specials aired. By 1983, the Berenstain Bears were licensed to about 40 companies. They made over 150 types of products, selling millions of dollars worth each year.
Television Shows
The Berenstain Bears first appeared on TV in five animated specials on NBC:
- The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree (1979)
- The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw (1980)
- The Berenstain Bears' Easter Surprise (1981)
- The Berenstain Bears' Comic Valentine (1982)
- The Berenstain Bears Play Ball (1983)
From 1985 to 1987, an animated series called The Berenstain Bears Show aired on CBS. This show was nominated for awards for its children's programming.
A second TV series, also called The Berenstain Bears, started on PBS in 2003. This series was made by a Canadian company called Nelvana. It had 80 episodes based on the books and some new stories. The Berenstains had less involvement in this show. They tried to make sure the bears didn't wear shoes and that Papa didn't wear his hat inside!
In 2011, 20 episodes of the Nelvana series were translated into the Native American Lakota language. They aired on public television in North Dakota and South Dakota. This was the first animated series in the United States to be translated into a Native American language.
Computer and Video Games
Many computer games and video games based on the Berenstain Bears books have been released:
- 1983: Berenstain Bears for the Atari 2600.
- 1990: Berenstain Bears Learn About Counting (MS-DOS).
- 1990: Berenstain Bears: Junior Jigsaw (MS-DOS).
- 1991: Berenstain Bears: Fun With Colors (MS-DOS).
- 1993: The Berenstain Bears: Learning At Home, Volume 1 (computer software).
- 1994: The Berenstain Bears' Camping Adventure for Sega Game Gear and Sega Genesis.
- 1994: Berenstain Bears: A School Day for the Sega Pico.
- 1995: The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight (computer software).
- 2000: Extreme Sports with the Berenstain Bears for Nintendo Game Boy Color.
- 2001: Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree for Nintendo Game Boy Advance.
Museum Exhibits
Several museums have featured exhibits about the Berenstain Bears:
- In 2002, "The Berenstain Bears Celebrate: The Art of Stan and Jan Berenstain" opened at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Pennsylvania. It showed the history of their artwork.
- In 2005, the Lied Discovery Children's Museum in Las Vegas, Nevada, opened "Growing Up With the Berenstain Bears." This exhibit let children explore life-size versions of Bear Country.
- The National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, has a permanent exhibit called "The Berenstain Bears — Down a Sunny Dirt Road." It features interactive play areas like Mama Bear's Quilt Shop.
Stage Show
A musical called The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical started in New York City in 2011. It had toured the country before that. Critics said it was a fun and good experience for kids.
Future Film
In 2009, there were plans for a Berenstain Bears movie. It was going to mix live action with computer-animated parts. The director wanted it to be funny but also show the importance of family. As of 2012, the movie was still being planned.
Social Issues and Other Products
In 2007, the Berenstain Bears became "spokesbears" for Prevent Child Abuse America. This helped raise awareness about preventing harm to children.
The Berenstain Bears have also been used to promote vaccines. In the 1980s, a company gave Berenstain Bears stuffed animals and books to pediatricians' offices to encourage vaccinations.
Many Cedar Fair theme parks used to have kids' play areas called "Berenstain Bear Country." You could also meet costumed Berenstain Bears characters there.
Other products featuring the Berenstain Bears include clothing, Happy Meals, cereal, chocolate, crackers, greeting cards, puzzles, and notepads.
See also
In Spanish: Los Osos Berenstain para niños
