This list of Berenstain Bears books includes many in the picture book series (such as "Beginner Books" and "First Time Books") and the illustrated children's novels, such as those in the "Big Chapter Books" series. Since the first Berenstain Bears installment was published in 1962, the series has sold close to 260 million copies.
In addition to writing children's literature, the authors Stan and Jan Berenstain also wrote two parenting books, What Your Parents Never Told You About Being a Mom or Dad (1995) and The Berenstain Bears and the Bear Essentials (2005), as well as their autobiography, Down a Sunny Dirt Road (2002). The Berenstain Bears appear in each of these books.
Publication summary
Titles marked with an asterisk (*) were adapted into episodes of the 1985 cartoon series.
Story summaries
First Time Books
The Berenstain Bears and The Messy Room
Everything in the Berenstain Bears' house is clean, that is, except for Brother and Sister's room. The problem is that despite their attempt to clean their room whenever they want, the cubs spend more time arguing over who-does-what and moving each other's stuff than cleaning within any 15-minute period, leaving Mama to clean it up all by herself. Having finally had enough of this, she suddenly decides to throw everything out, much to the horror of the cubs. But Papa stops her and he has a better idea, give Brother and Sister some toy boxes and organizational tools. And so they all pitch in to tidy up the messy room. And it turns out that Papa was right, it is much more fun to hang out and play in a room that is clean and organized.
The Berenstain Bears Lend a Helping Hand
Brother and Sister are always fighting over stuff such as who has the best spot on the sofa in front of the TV, who has the biggest slice of cake, who will get more jellybeans, etc. Mama and Papa are worried, as they realize that their cubs are getting greedy. Both of them devise a plan to make them help others instead of themselves. One day while leaving the supermarket, Mama and the cubs bump into old Mrs. McGrizzle. Mama makes the reluctant cubs put Mrs. McGrizzle's groceries away, while she and McGrizzle talk about the cubs behavior. They both come up with an idea that both of the cubs are going to clean out McGrizzle's attic, much to the cubs dismay. However, the cubs find some very interesting stuff in the attic, such as an antique Barbie and old baseball cards. In the end, Brother and sister run a garage sale of all of the stuff Mrs. McGrizzle wanted to throw away, and learn their lesson.
The Berenstain Bears Get in A Fight
On most sunny days, Brother and Sister always wake up in a good mood, taking turns when going to the bathroom, using good table manners by saying "Please" and "Thank you", sitting together on the school bus, working on their backyard tree house together, and sharing their toys. But one gray and stormy morning, they get into a big fight when Sister lets her feet dangle down in front of Brother's face. Sister, agitated, rushes off to the bathroom and takes a long time using the bathroom, aggravating their parents. They use bad table manners at breakfast by not saying "please" or "thank you", they sit in different seats on the school bus, and draw a line down the middle of their tree house. They even take back the toys they usually shared during their argument. Papa becomes fed up with their fighting, but ultimately gets pulled into the dispute. Mama finally gets the others to calm down, then explains why the cubs began fighting. She says that it's alright for some people to fight, especially folks who love each other very much. In the end, Brother and Sister make up and get along well the next day by erasing the line they drew on the tree house.
The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp
Summer vacation has come, but there is not much to do now that school is out. Mama enrolls the cubs in a day camp. The cubs show concern about being in a new place, especially outdoors so much. The owner of the camp, Grizzly Bob, is friendly and has many sports and activities for the cubs. On the first day, Grizzly Bob takes the group atop Spook Hill, which is a tough time for the cubs, and shows them Skull Rock, which overlooks Bear Country and where they will have an overnight camp out at the end of the summer. Sister, who has never been away from home overnight, is concerned. The later generic days prove fruitful for the cubs, who enjoy sports, crafts and games. At the end of the summer, the cubs have their overnight camp out, and the hike up Spook Hill is easier as they are in better shape. Grizzly Bob tells the cubs Indian lore and they enjoy their powwow and night under the stars, even Sister. The following day is the final day of camp, marked by a sports festival. Brother won a trophy for finishing second in the dash, and Sister won medals for her homespun bead belt and the dead bear's float. With autumn approaching, soon school will be in session. Emboldened by her experience at camp, Sister is ready for school and the new adventures it will bring.
The Berenstain Bears: Baby Makes Five
The Bear Family just had a new member of the family come. The new member's name is Baby Honey, who gains attention very quickly. However, Sister is annoyed by the attention Honey gets, as it is putting her out of the spotlight. Sister starts acting grumpy and holds a grudge on Honey. She says that Honey is not good at anything instead of wetting and filling diapers, and does not include Honey in a drawing of her family. Mama realizes that Sister is jealous, and decides to play Sister's old baby videos. Sister eventually realizes that she was once like Baby Honey. She then includes Baby Honey in the family photo, and grows fond of her.
The Berenstain Bears In The Dark
Brother and Sister often borrow books from the local library. Sister prefers books about ecology and storybooks. While Brother has enjoyed those too, he is maturing and taking an interest in mystery novels. Brother checks out a book called The Case of the Crying Cave, which looks eerie. During the evening when the entire Bear family is reading in the den, Sister finishes her book and accepts Brother's offer to read the mystery to her. The book is about three Bear Scouts who were hiking in the mountains and came upon a cave that looked like a human face. When the cave emitted a ghostly noise, it scared the three Scouts away! Mama interrupts, saying it is time for bed. That night, heavy autumn winds occur, which give the house a pallor. Brother decides to have some fun at Sister's expense by making spooky noises similar to the creepy cave. This causes a fighting cycle: Sister cries and turns the light on, but Brother refuses to sleep when the light is not off, causing Sister to cry again and turn the light back on, which returns to Brother turning off the lights and Sister wailing. The following morning, the entire Bear family is tired to do anything from lack of sleep and the fracas last night. Papa decides to help Sister with her problem by taking her up to the attic, where it is dark, and says that oftentimes one's imagination can construct things not always as they seem. Sister wishes she did not have one so she would never be scared, but Papa says that is ludicrous, for without imagination one would be unable to handle complex science problems, paint pictures, write stories, and many of the more rich parts of the world. Sister first sees a ghost, only to be a pile of old clothes when Papa shines the light on it. Sister then sees an owl; which Papa says is true, but a plaster owl statue he won at a carnival many years ago. Mama also helps Sister out by having her inherit a night light in the form of a lighthouse she owned when she was a cub; signifying there is light no matter how dark it seems, just like a lighthouse for sailors at sea. That evening, Brother offers to complete the unfinished reading of The Case of the Crying Cave only if Sister will not freak out. Sister, better focused after Papa's lesson, agrees. Brother's mystery book concludes by saying that the three Scouts dropped their backpacks and needed to go back for them; ergo they needed to confront their fears. They go inside the cave to solve the mystery; an opening in the alcove caused the wind to blow over it making the piercing noise. After she scares Brother by telling him she was hoping the howling in the cave turned out to be a scary monster and makes a monster face at him, Sister sleeps peacefully, thanks to Papa's lesson and Mama's night light. However, Brother hears the call of the owl outside the window, and decides that he has had enough of mysteries for a while.
The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist
Sister gets her first loose tooth. When she informs Mama, she says that she will need to see Dr. Bearson, the dentist. Brother says Dr. Bearson will yank it out with his yankers, only to be chided by Mama for scaring Sister and says Dr. Bearson is a good doctor who handles dental problems appropriately. Mama takes both cubs to Dr. Bearson, with Brother being his first patient. Brother turns out to have a cavity! Dr. Bearson recommends filling it, but says it's only a baby tooth and not overly serious. Although Brother is scared of this, the procedure turns out to be a gentle and painless routine. Sister is the second patient and she informs the dentist about her loose tooth. Sister is scared that he will use his yankers to pull it out, but he uses a piece of gauze to remove it instead, using little force save for a gentle tug. Dr. Bearson gives the tooth to Sister to take home, and she puts it under her pillow, discovering the next morning that she has received money from the tooth fairy in exchange for it.
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much TV
Mama realizes that all Brother, Sister, and Papa do when at home is watch television, which seems to be a lazy activity for them, so she forbids the cubs and Papa Bear from watching television for a week. Initially, the cubs and Papa are worried about boredom, but throughout the week they learn that there are other ways to enjoy themselves, even something as simple as sitting and relaxing for starters. While the cubs are doing their homework and Papa is reading the paper one day of the TV-free week, Sister sees an ad for a TV special. Mama says no TV means no TV and says that nature can present a special on the biggest screen of all, with the Bear family watching the sunset which turns into a stargazing event watching the night sky light up. The Bears also go to the Bear Country Mall where Sister buys a knitting set and Brother a Rubik's Cube, but Papa tries sneaking into an electronics store to get a quick fix of TV. At dinner of the final day of the no TV week, Mama says she does not hate TV, only that the cubs were sitting in front of it like lumps. Brother says that tomorrow he will watch TV all day, as does Papa and Sister. However, the only one who sits in front of the TV for a long time is Papa, with Sister knitting a tiny rug and Brother solving his cube puzzle. Finally, even Papa turns the TV off when he sees the pond and grabs his fishing rod to catch a couple of those leaping trout.
The Berenstain Bears and Computer Trouble
Papa buys a computer for work such as printing out bills and buying equipment online. However, Brother and Sister keep on entering his workshop to play games on his computer. He buys computers for Brother, Sister, and Mama. Baby Honey also gets a small toy computer to play games on. The whole family gets addicted to their computers, staying on it 24/7. Brother and Sister download games and join social networks with their friends. Mama eventually gets addicted to eBear(a parody of eBay). Papa gets worried, especially when he reads an article in the newspaper about how computers can be bad for young kids such as Brother and Sister. Papa makes a rule in the house, saying that the members of the Bear family cannot go on the computer for more than one hour a day. The plan works out. Brother and Sister have fun with their friends instead of getting cyberbullied, Mama stops using eBear for good, and Honey has more fun with her toys than her computer. Papa also manages to do more work without his computer. The Bear family feel closer without the computer. The next day, the family go out to see a movie. They end up seeing Spiderbear (a parody of Spider-Man).
The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear
Mama becomes very concerned and worried about her cubs' behavior after the cubs are so excited for the new Christmas toys and when the mall is already ready for Christmas two days after Thanksgiving. Papa believes that Mama is over-protective about the cubs' behavior because he believes that Brother and Sister are good cubs, but when Brother and Sister find the toys they saw on television commercials it makes them forget the true meaning of Christmas. Sister Bear becomes more excited about getting to meet Santa Bear, but makes a long list of things she wanted for Christmas. Brother warns her that she's getting greedy; he also tells her that Santa has lots of cubs to think about besides Sister, all the cubs in the world, and she becomes nervous. Sister becomes really nervous as to whether or not she's been good enough for Santa's expectations, recalling incidents from previous books. Mama Bear and Papa Bear assure her that she doesn't have to worry, as Santa Bear doesn't expect cubs to be perfect. Sister remembers the true meaning of Christmas and doesn't know how Mama and Papa will get their gifts without meeting Santa Bear, but Brother tells her that presents for Mama and Papa was their job and they secretly get money for Christmas shopping the next day. The next day, as Sister Bear visits Santa Bear, he gives her a coloring book, after she told him what she wanted for Christmas and gave him her list, which is a shorter one that she made. Sister and Brother purchase Mama and Papa great gifts afterwards. On Christmas Eve, Sister asks Papa questions about Santa. Papa tells her that the true meaning of Christmas is giving, and that Santa has an important job. The next day, she and Brother find the things they wanted for Christmas along with Papa and Mama.
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food
Mama notices that her cubs' junk food snacking habits have caught up with them. Papa Bear has also fallen into the bad snack habit as well. Mama Bear decides to put all the sweets and junk food in the freezer, and start her family on a healthy diet. At the grocery store, The Bear family runs into their family doctor, Dr. Grizzly, who commends Mama for a shopping cart full of healthy food but also notices Papa and cubs staring longingly at the candy, so she suggests they drop by her office for some advice. The cubs are initially worried about getting shots, but soon find out she has a presentation about healthy eating habits, specifically how fruits, vegetables, and grains affect the body's performance. As the family leaves, She suggests an exercise plan as well. The family begins their healthy eating and exercise. Eventually, they all get into shape and decide to enter the Bear Country three-mile run. While they didn't finish first, they won a trophy for being the only family where all members completed the run. Papa Bear suggests they open the freezer to celebrate, but decides on the others' suggestions of carrot sticks, nuts and raisins for a snack.
The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers
Brother is very cautious and wary of strangers while Sister says hello to everyone and everything she meets. Papa Bear shows Sister articles from the newspaper of encounters with strangers gone wrong, such as "Stranger Bothers Cub", "Missing Cub Found", "Chief Grizzly Questions Stranger", and "Cub Stranger Meeting". Papa also reads her a story about a sly fox who pretends to be a goose's friend when he invites her over to his den, but eats her in the end in order to tell her why she shouldn't talk to strangers or accept gifts and rides from them. The story only serve to frighten Sister. Unable to sleep, the headlines from the newspaper and parts of the "Silly Goose and Wily Fox" story flash through Sister's head. The next day, Sister has an askew view that anyone she does not know is a stranger, and as such an automatic criminal. Seeing the effect Papa's lesson had on Sister, Mama Bear explains that not every stranger is an immediate kidnapper and relates a lesson she was taught when she was young: "There are always a few bad apples in every barrel". Sister picks up an apple that is bumpy on the outside thinking it is a "bad apple" while on the inside it is fine. Mama shows an apple with a normal external appearance but inside it is infested with worms. Sister understands the difference and realizes she can still be friendly but must use her common sense when it comes to people she doesn't know. She feels better and goes with Brother to the town green as he launches his pusher plane. Sister relaxes and enjoys looking for wildflowers. Just as they are about to go home, an unknown bear drives up with a radio-controlled plane that grabs Brother's attention. The stranger tells Brother he plans on following his plane in his car and invites Brother to come along. Sister intervenes, stopping him from accepting the offer. Brother is annoyed and believes Sister has become too paranoid about strangers then is further angered when Papa scolds him. Papa explains that Sister was not tattling about something minor, but a situation that could have been very dangerous. After calming down, Brother thanks Sister for looking out for him. Sister asks Mama if the stranger who owned the radio airplane was a crook, Mama replies that chances are he was law-abiding and probably not a "bad apple".
Rules for children on strangers are posted on the last page.
The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners
The family has gotten into a habit of forgetting their manners, being rude, and impolite, frustrating Mama. It starts out with simple issues, such as not using "please" or "thank you", then escalating into pushing and shoving, then being rude at meals, and making messes with food fights. Mama is at the end of her rope, and she even feels Papa is part of the problem as he corrects the cubs by shouting and banging his fist. Mama devises a politeness plan, which lists a series of impolite behaviors that gets punished by an extra chore. Brother and Sister decide to come up with a plan of their own by being super polite, hoping that Mama will get fed up with the whole thing, but this fails, and the cubs soon are in a habit of simply being courteous to one another. However, Papa is the one who gets fed up; as he is older and more used to his habits, he has to do many chores to break his habit, causing him to grouse about Mama's plan.
One day, the family is out shopping, to which Papa says he is glad to be out of the house "and away from that Politeness Plan", but Mama says that manners matter in public as well. While at the supermarket, Papa points out that one must also have common sense along with manners, such as letting everyone go ahead of you in line means you will be held up for a very long time; he also adds that there may be certain times when one has to interrupt. He sees a lady with a broken bottle and politely interrupts her in order to bring it to her attention and keep her groceries from being spoiled, and she thanks Papa.
While returning home, the Bears' car rear ends another car, which is owned by a big bear, who is at first angry with Papa; however, he is suddenly reminded of his own manners when seeing how polite Papa is. He then explains that he had stopped short because a mama duck and her ducklings had crossed in front of him. Fortunately, neither car was damaged. As the Bears return home, they reflect how good manners not only make life easier to live by, but more relaxing.
The Berenstain Bears and the Sitter
Mama and Papa get notice of a meeting at a town hall, which presents a problem as the cubs cannot be unattended. So they see about the usual deal of staying with Gramps and Gran as they have done before. The problem is, Gramps and Gran also are going to the meeting, as are other family members, Aunt Maude, and Cousin Wilbur. Mama finds someone not attending the meeting, a neighbor named Mrs. Grizzle. Brother and Sister have never had anyone outside the family stay with them, and shudder as Mrs. Grizzle has the reputation amongst all their friends as the neighborhood grouch; Brother recalling a time his kite accidentally bopped her and Sister trampling her flower garden when she had been playing ball. Also, her size is imposing as a large woman; only Papa Bear is taller than Mrs. Grizzle (but barely). The cubs fear she will be dictatorial and kid-hating, but Mama says that is ludicrous, Mrs. Grizzle raised seven cubs of her own and knows how to handle cubs. Sister accepts this, but Brother resolves to himself he will keep away from the sitter. Mrs. Grizzle arrives at the Bear residence in a jolly mood, and shows the cubs her work bag, which she uses whenever she had a babysitting job. Inside the bag are some odds and ends such as ball of twine and deck of cards; then she does a couple of tricks and plays some card games with them. When bedtime rolls around, Mrs. Grizzle helps the cubs scrub their backs in the bathtub (Brother Bear changing his mind about staying away from the sitter), she tucks them in bed and reads Sister a bedtime story. When Mama and Papa arrive home, they are glad to see a peaceful home and the cubs asleep. Eventually the cubs come to like Mrs. Grizzle, and say that although there were future times Mama and Papa went off from home, that Mrs. Grizzle was the memorable time they were home with a sitter.
The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect
Brother, Sister, Honey, Mama, and Papa join Gramps and Gran on a picnic. When trying to decide where to set it up, however, they all show disrespect to each other. When Papa suggests hosting it in a site, he and his friends did when they were cubs. Brother's opinion is "That was so 100 years ago... let's go somewhere better." When Mama suggests a creek, Sister's opinion is "It is so dirty, worn down and full of mosquitoes... let's go somewhere better." Even Mama and Papa begin to disrespect Gramps and Gran causing Gramps to host a family meeting. After discussing it, everybody apologizes to one another and ultimately decide to picnic at Gramps and Gran's house.
The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble With Chores
Mama gets very frustrated because the cubs are performing awfully at chores. Every time Mama gives a simple task to the cubs or Papa, they always have excuses to not do them. For example, when Mama asks Brother to clean the dishes he says "But there is a neat show on right now!" and when Mama asks Sister to wash them she says "But I always get the dirty chores!" Eventually Mama concludes that maybe it is better if she does all the work herself, but this is proven false. Papa then suggests to Mama that they take a break off of the chores and not do it unless they feel like it. To show a point Mama agrees knowing that their antics will eventually cause the house to get messy. This prediction comes true and while Mama goes to her quilting and gardening club, Papa, Sister and Brother get so exasperated that they spend one entire afternoon cleaning up the dirty, filthy crowded house.
The Berenstain Bears and The Double Dare
One day, while Mama, Papa, and Brother are busy, Sister comes home saying that a bully stole her jump rope. Brother decides to volunteer to get her rope back, and goes to the park where the bully, Too-Tall, and his gang, are playing. Brother comes and asks them for the jump rope, or else he will pound them to meat. Despite Brother does not get to beat up Too-Tall, Too-Tall gives him the jump rope. Glad that he got it back, Brother decides to head home. While he was going, Too-Tall and his gang tell Brother if they could go on a trip somewhere. Brother, who says no, is then teased by the gang (who call him chicken). Saying that he is not chicken, Brother goes with the gang. They start going to a bunch of spots that scare Brother such as the Spooky Old Tree, a hike at the edge of a ravine, and a log over a rushing river. They arrive at the final spot, Farmer Ben's watermelon patch. Too-Tall and his gang tell brother that they will steal some watermelon. Brother disagrees, only to be teased by the gang again. Angry, he goes and takes a juicy watermelon, while the gang watches. Farmer Ben comes and catches Brother, and the gang runs away. Confused why Brother is stealing his watermelon, Brother tells Farmer Ben about him and Too-Tall. After the story, Farmer Ben says that "chickens aren't very smart, but they do know not to act when someone calls them chicken" (referencing to Brother Being called a chicken.) "Sheep, on the other hand, don't think for themselves, and are always following the leader." Brother sees the sheep heading to the highway, as the leader ram did. Farmer Ben says that Shep his sheepdog will round them up. He says that sheep will do anything the ram will do-run into a highway, jump off a cliff, or steal from a watermelon patch. Farmer Ben gives brother some watermelon to share with his family and a shortcut away from his farm. While Brother is walking home, Too-Tall and his gang see him. The ask him if he can go to "Widder Bruins" house and "have some fun", or is Brother chicken. Brother says he is not chicken, nor sheep to the gang, who angrily keep on teasing Brother. All of the sudden, Too-Tall's dad Two-Ton Grizzly comes and starts shouting at Too-Tall and his gang. Brother leaves the argument and goes back home. He gives Sister her jump rope back. Mama asks him how he got back the jump rope, which Brother replies he just asked the gang. Mama says that he literally got it just like that, which Brother replies " well, not really".
The Berenstain Bears and the Slumber Party
Mama allows Sister to go to Lizzie Bruin's for a slumber party under the impression that there will be just a few cubs and that Lizzie's parents will not be there. However, word of the party spreads, and Lizzy allows everyone to come despite her parents leaving the cubs under the supervision of her teenage babysitter. The babysitter has trouble controlling all the cubs, especially once Too-Tall and his gang crash the party, and Sister and her friends are more than willing to take advantage of the situation and made such a commotion. Soon, the sleepover causes havoc to the point that the neighbors call the police, the Bruins return home and everything is a mess. The Bruins call the cubs' parents to take them home and tell them about the disarray they discovered. Mama is angry and disappointed and grounds Sister for one week with nothing to occupy her but chores, homework, and school. Papa, who believes the punishment is too harsh, tells Mama that privilege and responsibility apply to parents as well as cubs, and implies that they should have called and confirmed with the Bruins about the sleepover before allowing Sister to go. The next day, Mama Bear releases Sister of her punishment, admitting her anger got the best of her. Mama and Sister head over to Lizzy's house, intent on helping clean up the mess last night. Lizzy suggests they have some soda and becomes excited, proposing a cleanup party. Sister turns down the offer, explaining that same behavior from the night before and that she doesn't want to hear the word "party" again, for a long time.
The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble With Grown-ups
Brother and Sister feel that their parents have nothing to say but negative things about their cubs and criticize them. Mama finds out that the "Parents Night Talent Show" is next Friday, but the cubs forgot to give her the notice they brought home, which makes things worse. Lizzy, Cousin Fred, Brother, and Sister try to think of a play, when Brother suggests "The Trouble with Grownups!", they agree secretly that it will be about cubs that do the same things Brother and Sister did that week that were wrong and the parents getting angry. The play gently parodies their parents, with cousin Freddy and Lizzy Bruin as Brother and Sister of the play. The comedy routine is a hit with the audience. Mama and Papa find it funny and enjoy the play. The next day, Mama and Papa Bear dress up as the cubs and do the same thing and show the cubs what they thought about it from their own point of view. Mama and Papa as the cubs run around rambunctiously, and Mama and Papa leave their cleaning objects and tools on the floors, which gets the cubs realizing that their parents enforcement of house rules serve a purpose. Seeing each other's perspective, this helps the family to understand and comprehend their frustrations a bit better, and learn that no one means to get on each other's nerves, as it is part of living under one roof.
The Berenstain Bears' New Neighbors
An unoccupied house across from the Bears has just been sold, and the cubs are curious who bought it. One day, the new family arrives to the house and they are a family of pandas. However Papa has trouble adjusting to the family because they are different from him. When Papa misinterprets their row of bamboo as a spite fence, he refuses to do anything to the Panda family, not even say "hello" in passing. Although Papa does not like the new neighbors, the cubs visit them anyway and they make friends with them. Later, the family, even Papa, comes over with a gift of honey to them, and when they learn that the bamboo is not a spite fence, Papa accepts the new neighbors. Even if others are different, we need to accept them and show love. They may even think you are different.
The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings
Mama thinks about how Sister and Brother will come back with complaints about how they do not have the things their friends have. She says Sister complains about Lizzy's Bearbie collection, and Brother will complain that he doesn't have enough video games like Cousin Freddy. When they come home, Mama and Papa tell them to think about what they have that their friends do not have. They count all their blessings and when they sit down together as a family, the lights go out. Brother and Sister hear a thunderstorm coming, which knocks out the power; Papa knows a trick that can make the thunderstorm go away. They count each time and the storm is one mile away. After the thunderstorm, the cubs go upstairs to play with the toys they have, learning to be more appreciative of their possessions, and also are thankful for events such as Christmas and Easter which celebrate with candy. Mama says that since the cubs' birthdays are coming up and they have learned their lesson about being grateful for what they have, perhaps it is appropriate that they get Sister a Bearbie doll and Brother a new video game. Papa chuckles that he knows what to thankful for; a wife and children!
The Berenstain Bears and the Homework Hassle
After Brother falls too far behind in his homework, Papa warns Brother there will be no TV, no talking on the phone, and no anything until he gets caught up with his homework. Sister begins taunting Brother about how he is never able to get his homework done, leaving Brother to go for a walk. He goes outside to Gramps and Gran's house, and Gramps tells Brother of how Papa procrastinated in his homework, too, when he was a cub. Brother soon learns he's not the only one with a problem, Papa is falling behind his taxes as well. They both learn an important lesson.
The Berenstain Bears and the Excuse Note
Sister finds gym very boring, so when she sees Lizzie with an excuse note after hurting her arm, she decides Lizzie is lucky. After school, while getting off the bus, Brother and Sister are running and Sister trips on a stone and falls. Papa and Mama rush to see if she is all right. She sprains her ankle and she gets an excuse note. At school, she enjoys sitting around doing nothing while the other cubs participate in gym. Eventually her ankle is all better, and one day at recess she forgets she is supposed to be injured and kicks a soccer ball that comes her way. Teacher Jane notices and points out that her ankle must be all better now. Sister complains to Mama that now she has to participate in useless gym again, but Mama explains to her how gym is good as it helps keep her healthy and helps her improve in other things. Sister takes her advice and tries her hardest in gym, which in turn helps improves her athletic and sports abilities.
The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies
The Bear family goes to a supermarket. At the checkout, Brother and Sister see their favorite candies and make a fuss until Papa gives in to their behavior and buys them. On the way out to the parking lot, Brother and Sister spot a Bucking Frog similar to the Bucking Duck they ride at the mall. They begin to whine and beg, even worse than they did inside, and Papa gives in once again and buys them a ride. En route to the car, the cubs spot a stand that sells toy cats that squeak. They have their worst screams yet, and Papa, embarrassed, reluctantly gives in to their demand and buys each of them a toy cat. When they got home, Papa and Mama are upset about the cubs' behavior, believing that they have the gimmies and decide to have a talk with them about how greedy and selfish cubs that want everything can never be satisfied as they can't always get what they want and to appreciate all that they have. Gramps and Gran come to visit, and Brother and Sister greet them by jumping up and down and yelling, demanding gifts. Infuriated and fed up, Papa sends the cubs to their room and bans them from having treats for a week, a month, or possibly even a year. Papa explains to Gramps and Gran that Brother and Sister have the worst case of the gimmies, and Gramps states that Papa had the gimmies once when he was a cub. Gramps and Gran state that they had a deal in which when it came time for a trip to the general store, Papa could pick out a treat, a book, or a toy before they ever left the house, and that was it for the day. If he came down with the gimmies and began whining for anything else, they would go right home and Papa would get nothing at all. The cubs then come down and apologize. Papa and Mama realize that is a good idea, and so do Brother and Sister. They go to the supermarket for a few days later, and Brother and Sister get the treats they decided on at the house, Brother gets a book on dinosaurs and Sister gets a box of crayons. The plan works, much to Mama and Papa's relief and Brother and Sister are very proud of themselves, too. However, as they leave, the Bear family spots a cub who also has the gimmies in the checkout. Brother and Sister express disgust with the cub's behavior, and they leave the supermarket happily.
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Teasing
Brother teases Sister when she buys or watches things he doesn't like or hates every day. So one day Sister tells Mama about it. Mama and Papa tell Brother that teasing isn't a good idea. Papa shows Brother what teasing is like by calling Mama "Ookums Snookums" and tickling under her chin, which she doesn't like. At school, Brother gets a job working with the principal, and Too-Tall Grizzly and his gang tease Brother, giving him a taste of what it's like to get teased. One day a new kid named Milton becomes Too-Tall's new target, Brother stands up for Milton. Milton's parents are farmhands, and this is his first time going to a community school. Part of the reason that Milton is a target is because he is very much like a "hayseed" who acts folksy and simplistic among others. He's also bad at sports like baseball and soccer. However, there is one sport Milton understands: wrestling, as he says on the farm part of his job was "rassling" pigs to the ground. Brother sends the principal a letter the next morning which secretly says that Milton challenges Too-Tall and his gang to a wrestling match. Too-tall and his gang accept the challenge, and Milton wins by falling on Too-Tall and his gang. Because of Too-Tall's loss, he has to leave Milton alone. In the end, Brother doesn't tease Sister anymore.
The Berenstain Bears Report Card Trouble
Brother gets a bad report card, with all non-Physical Education grades being bad, while all of his classmates and Sister get good scores. After Papa shouts at him for doing very poor in school, Brother ends up getting grounded from sports, television, video games, skateboarding, rollerblading, and going out to movies with his friends. Despite how much Mama consoles him, Brother remains depressed. The whole family feels grounded after, since it would be unfair and a bad example if they do anything that Brother cannot do. Mama suggests that Papa went too far with grounding Brother, as she sees Sister being bored. After a talk on helping Brother, Mama and Papa decide to help him. Sister even joins, helping Brother with his vocabulary. The next day, the whole family helps Brother study for a math test and do a science project. Brother does good on the project and test, resulting in Papa lifting his grounding and improving his grades.
The Berenstain Bears No Girls Allowed
When Brother and his friends used to play games, Sister would constantly tag along. She was slower than they were and had a tendency to whine, so all the older cubs viewed her as a nuisance. But as Sister gets older, she suddenly starts to become better than them at climbing, baseball, marbles, and other activities. What's worse is the fact that Sister has also become a show-off and a bad winner with her obnoxious over-celebrating. One day, she can't find any of the other cubs to play with, so she decides to occupy herself instead. But after three days of no playmates, she goes looking for them and discovers they have built a neat-looking clubhouse in the thicket behind the baseball diamond that looks like a fortress. Her excitement turns to hurt feelings when the boy cubs add the finishing touch: a sign that reads, "Bear Country Boys Club: NO GIRLS ALLOWED." Sister runs home crying, and although Papa is initially furious and vows to make the cubs let her in the club, Mama suggests another solution: building a treehouse for Sister and her friends. Papa builds it in the old climbing tree, and Sister and her friends bring a rope ladder, a tin can telephone, and a spyglass. Mama explains to Sister that although the boys are being unfair and are sore losers, Sister had brought some of it on herself with her sore winner attitude. They celebrate the new clubhouse by grilling honeycomb and salmon, and the delicious smell brings the boys out of their clubhouse to investigate. The girls decide to invite the boys to share the meal, and afterwards, the boys invite the girls to their clubhouse in the thicket for a dessert of berries. Brother runs ahead, and when the girls arrive, they discover he's changed the sign to "Bear Country Boys Club: GIRLS WELCOME!"
The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat
On the week near Halloween, Mama comes home with groceries, candy for trick-or-treaters. Brother and Sister try to surprise Mama by dressing into their costumes, and they manage to do so. Then on Halloween when the cubs make a map of their planned trick or treat route, they reveal about how they believe that Mama's best friend, "Miz Migrizz", is a spooky, cruel, witch. Mama Bear tries to tell them that Miz Migrizz isn't a witch but fails to convince them. That night, Brother and Sister and their friends Fred (as a pirate), Lizzy Bruin (as a skeleton), and Queenie (as the wicked queen from Snow White), go trick or treating but just when they leave the curb to their house they meet Too-Tall Grizzly and his gang. They learn that Too-Tall and his gang have only accepted on going Trick-Or-Treating under a mistaken belief that it is more fun and is about playing mean harsh tricks on older people. The cubs are worried when Too-Tall gives them an invitation to play tricks with them on Miz Migrizz and just before Too-Tall and his gang can start tricking Migrizz she hears the commotion and catches them. But instead of scolding them she gives them candy apples for Halloween. The cubs realize that she is kind after all. They thank Migrizz and head for home.
The Berenstain Bears and The Bad Dream
Brother obsessively collects all of the Space Grizzlies merchandise from action figures to movies to toys. No one else in the Bear family understands why Brother is so drawn to the toys, mostly finding it annoying when he leaves them all over the treehouse. He loves the toys so much that he looks for ways to earn money to buy more of them, eventually to get Sleezo's Cloud Castle. After seeing a poster for an upcoming Space Grizzlies movie, he can't wait for it to premiere. One afternoon, Brother desperately wants to play Space Grizzlies and propositions Sister. She agrees on the condition that Brother plays three games of her choice first. At dinner, Papa announces the movie Brother wants to see will be in theaters the next day. While Brother watches the Space Grizzlies movie, Mama and Papa and Sister see a different movie at the same multiplex called "The Magic Toeshoes", about a girl in a ballet class who cannot balance until she is given magic shoes by an old man, only to lose them before the big recital then to be told by the old man they were plain ordinary shoes, it was in her all along. After coming home from the theater, and going to bed, Sister wakes up and tells Mama and Papa of being embarrassed in public. Mama tells her it was a bad dream; a nightmare. All the things she was seeing in her sleep were jumbled pieces of information she had experienced during her day. Sister accepts that all she had was a bad dream and that it couldn't hurt her. Although Brother initially scoffs at her fear of bad dreams, that night he has a nightmare about being chased by enemies of the Space Grizzlies. Sister explains what she learned to him, and Brother better understands.
The Berenstain Bears Trouble With Money
The cubs know a lot about Bear Country, such as the best places for flowers, berries, and honey. However, they don't know a lot about money. Whenever they receive any money, either from doing odd jobs for neighbors or as handouts from Mama, Papa or their grandparents, they immediately run to the mall and blow it all on honeycomb on a stick and cheap toys. Attempts to save money in Sister's piggy bank are short-lived, and Brother does not even own a piggy bank. Mama starts getting concerned about the cubs' attitude, and recommends putting them on an allowance to show the value of money. However, this idea is disapproved by Papa, who cheerfully suggests that this is the time to have a carefree childhood and that they will have plenty of money worries when they are grownup. However, Papa is the one to give the cubs a dressing down about squandering. One day, when Brother and Sister are at the mall, they see a new game called "Astro Bear" at the arcade and run home to ask for money for it. Papa explodes, asking if they think he's made of money or that money grows on trees, and knocking over a chair as he yells. Mama once again attempts to bring up the allowance idea, but Papa refuses, saying that they need to learn to earn their money, just as he did. The cubs take what he says to heart and become small entrepreneurs, selling flowers and berries, guiding tours of Bear Country's most beautiful spots, and starting a pet-sitting business. But when they start selling maps of the locations of all the best honey trees (a family secret), Papa begins to worry. He complains that all they care about now is making money, and they've turned into little misers, which does seem to be apparent as Brother and Sister are seen accounting for all the money they made. He calls the cubs in for a lecture, but before he can begin, they dump all their hard-earned money into his lap, saying that they earned it all for him so he wouldn't have to worry about money so much. A startled Papa is silent, and Mama clarifies with the cubs that she and Papa worry about money, but the purpose of the earlier lecture was to see the importance of hard work and savings. This time, Papa is the one who brings up the allowance idea. They take the cubs' money to the Bear Country Bank and open a savings account, explaining to the cubs about starting a nest egg and how interest works. The bank is inside the mall, and adjacent to the video arcade, so Papa feels that since the cubs have learned their lessons about squandering, the entire Bear family enjoys a round of Astro Bear.
The Berenstain Bears and Papa's Pizza
When the cubs invite their friends over to their house, they don't know what to do until they ask Mama if they can have a party. Mama sarcastically says "No" at first, but then says, "Yes". Initially, the cubs try to make snacks, but end up making only their favorite foods: "Peanut Butter-mushy-banana-and-crushed-honeycomb-sandwiches-with-a-Pickle". When the cubs express their beliefs that their friends will love it as much as they, Mama tells the cubs that they also need to make their friends' favorite foods and that some may not like the sandwiches. The next few days the cubs go around asking their friends what they like. But nobody likes guacamole, cheese sandwiches, peanut butter, green onions, green peppers, tuna fish, mushrooms, squash, and other things like that, making them have to agree on boring "crackers and water". But Papa comes to the rescue and says that he used to be a Pizzaologist in college and lets the cubs make their own pizza.
The Berenstain Bears At the Giant Mall
Brother and Sister ride their bikes to the hardware store, where they find Papa trying to purchase a one and a half-inch carving set. Papa finds that the Bear Country Hardware store doesn't have a one and a half inch carving set, so he is told by the clerk to check the Bear Country Mall for the carving set, much to Papa's, Brother's and Sister's delight. The family drives to the giant mall, where Papa brags once again that he never gets lost. Mama, Brother and Sister, go over the rules of the mall, but since Papa believes that he never gets lost, he abandons the rules and goes alone to find the hardware store while the family agrees to meet in the food court in one hour. Brother, Mama, and Sister look around the mall in a book store, a pet store, and a music store. The group has fun, but when the hour is finished they head to the food court but Papa doesn't show up. Mama is not surprised that Papa doesn't arrive and suspects that he got himself lost. The cubs and Mama ask a clerk for help to find Papa, but the clerk says that he hasn't seen Papa. They head to the lost cub center where they find Papa and Papa finally admits that he got lost. The cubs show him where the hardware store is, and after Papa gets his carving set, he apologizes for the trouble he caused and promises to always follow the rules.
The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Habit
Several of the cubs in Sister's first grade class have developed little nervous habits from the increased amount of work compared to kindergarten, but Sister's is the worst: a nail-biting habit that is making her fingers sore. When Mama places tape over Sister's fingers to keep her from biting them, Sister gets irritated by it because her friends tease her. She cannot scratch itches and play Jacks and such, so eventually she takes off the tape and her nail-biting habit gets bigger and bigger. Papa and Mama get worried and Papa gets an idea for a reward where Sister would get a dime for every day she doesn't bite her nails until she can stop her habit. Sister is excited about the idea. But even that won't help Sister break her habit and she doesn't get a single dime. However, Gran gives Mama another suggestion: instead of a dime at the end of each day, give Sister ten pennies at the beginning of the day. This way, the jingle of them in her pocket will remind her not to bite, and for every nail she does bite she must give back a penny. The plan works, and although Sister has to give back a few pennies, she still gets ten fine fingernails and 93 pennies in ten days, breaking her nail-biting habit for good. However Brother gets jealous that Sister has all those pennies and he tells Papa that he'll bite his nails so he can get money like Sister, but Brother tells Papa when he suspiciously objects that he was joking.
The Berenstain Bears and the In-Crowd
Sister meets a new cub named Queenie McBear whose fashionable clothes and fancy bike impresses Sister's friends. When Sister tries to be friendly, Queenie scoffs at both Sister's name and her style of dress. She also wins over Sister's friends by buying them ice cream, as well as laughing that Sister still uses a tricycle. Sister first tries to teach herself to ride Brother's bike in order to beat Queenie at her own game, but fails miserably. Mama tries to get Sister to fit in by getting her an outfit akin to Queenie's. While Sister appreciates Mama's kind gesture, she says it is not her, and that she would not change herself even if "Bear Country was attacked by an army of Queenie clones!" Mama, glad that Sister has a good outlook, tells her that just because Queenie got ice cream for Sister's friends, it does not make them automatically like her, and that Sister should focus on what she is good at; her jump rope abilities in an upcoming double Dutch tournament. On the day of the tournament, many cubs participate, even some boys like Brother and Cousin Freddy. Sister's friends register for Sister's team when they see she is the best chance to win. Queenie turns out to be a disaster at jump rope, especially since she made the mistake of wearing dangly clothings and hoop earrings. Sister wins the tournament and is cheered by all, and Queenie admits she has learned a lesson in what it is like to be humiliated, and pledges to turn over a new leaf.
The Berenstain Bears and the Blame Game
Mama is feeling annoyed because Brother and Sister keep playing the blame game with each other after every mistake and accident. When the cubs break the vase, and Mama rushes into the room, they blame each other for breaking the vase by protesting about how the vase broke and why they tried to tease each other causing to break the vase. Just as Mama is about to lose her temper, Papa comes in and tells the cubs to instead solve the problem. They do so, but when Brother and Sister break the bay window with a baseball and begin the blame game again, Papa loses it as well until Mama helps them fix the problem. Papa reminds the cubs that while there are times when someone really is to blame, there's always enough blame to go around.
The Berenstain Bears and the Attic Treasure
One day, Mama gets an idea from a magazine to turn their attic into a lovely family room. The family goes up to the attic and plan to turn the junk into cash and hold a big yard sale the next day. But however when the family puts up their advertisements for the yard sale, they find that the junk happens to be forgotten treasures; like Brother's twirl-a-hoop, Papa's baseball card collection, a cracked honey pot as a wedding gift, Papa's sack race trophy, albums of Papa and Mama's wedding, and baby furniture in case they have another baby. Eventually they have nothing to offer at the yard sale when they refuse to sell the treasures, so they cancel the yard sale and are able to clean up the attic enough to turn it into a family room.
The Berenstain Bears Trouble at School
Brother gets ill and Dr. Grizzly recommends Brother to stay home until he feels better. Brother is annoyed with his schoolwork and his place on the soccer team being disrupted by being bedridden, but Mama pampers him and gives him entertaining things to pass the time. Brother enjoys these so much that he neglects the folders of makeup work Sister brings home for him. By the time he recovers, Brother returns to a bumpy start; he has been relegated to a second-stringer on the soccer team as Freddy has been promoted to the first string, and he is forced to take a math test. Even in an unprepared state, Brother might have squeaked by on the test because he was good with division, but his mind was so distracted by losing his place on the soccer team that he flunks, and his test is returned with a remark "Very Poor! Must be Signed by Parents". When Brother and Sister return home, Sister falls ill from Brother's earlier malady. Brother takes advantage of Mama's attention to Sister to hide the poor test. The next day, Brother becomes truant by intentionally missing the bus, turning his test into a paper airplane to be rid of it both figuratively and literally, then walking down a dirt road ranting to himself how nothing has ever gone right for him in soccer or academics. The road is connected is along his grandparents' home, who see him and are perplexed as to why he is being a truant, but Gramps decides to handle to problem in a kindly manner. He takes Brother to a swamp with an old rusted carriage submerged in the peat, and tells that many years ago he was driving the carriage through a series of wrong turns until finally, in a rage, he drove it right into the swamp. Gramps then realized he actually worked so hard to cause such a mess, similar to Brother's rant, and that if he only took a moment to stop and change course, all the trouble could have been avoided. After the paper airplane is found, Gramps takes Brother home, to which Mama and Papa are not pleased to hear Brother was truant. But when Gramps shows he has taught Brother right, Papa signs the test and Mama returns Brother to school, commenting, "it is never too late to correct a mistake". Brother's teacher says most students did poorly on the math test and gives the class another shot, to which Brother does well after learning an earlier lesson in adding and subtracting fractions from Gramps. At soccer, the coach gives Brother his old position back as Freddy is not ready for the first string, but has been making progress. Rather than gloat, Brother comments to the coach "it is never too late to correct a mistake" and commends Freddy for sharpening his athletic ability.
The Berenstain Bears and the Bully
Sister comes home crying about being assaulted by a bully, Brother goes to the empty school to avenge her only to find out the bully is a younger girl named Tuffy, and he walks away knowing he can't beat up a girl. Rather than getting even, Brother helps Sister in the art of self-defense and helps her vent her frustrations by creating a bean bag with a picture of Tuffy on front of it that she can punch. As the days go by she becomes more proficient at self-defense until the day comes when Tuffy is throwing rocks at a baby bird during recess. When Sister stands up for the bird, Tuffy tries but fails to hit Sister and instead gets a bloody nose. While waiting to see the principal, Sister learns that Tuffy's behavior stems from how she is disciplined at home. Sister is given a warning but avoids further punishment because teachers saw that she was just trying to protect the bird, while also learning a lesson in bully motivation. Tuffy is sentenced to a week of detention during recess as punishment for her poor behavior and has to visit the school psychologist twice a week.
The Berenstain Bears and the Big Blooper
One day, Lizzy Bruin invites Sister to play with her, which she happily accepts, and they start by playing house with their dolls. Their game is cut short by Lizzy's mother trying to make some phone calls. Sister and Lizzy then decide to watch Trouble at Big Bear High, a video rented by Lizzy's older brother, Barry. The video was about teenagers in high school, who often got angry and upset with each other, and often teased one another. Whenever the teenagers in the video got angry or upset, they often used Adult words that Sister had never heard. Sister assumes that the words are like "phooey" or "fudge", but more mature. After a few more hours with Lizzy, Sister goes home for dinner. At dinner, Sister tells her family about the video. Brother (who had also seen the video with Barry) questions whether or not Sister was old enough to be watching the video. Offended, Sister says that she liked the video a lot, but, accidentally knocks over her glass of milk. Intending to say "Oh, phooey!" or "Oh, fudge!", Sister accidentally lets one of the swear words from the video slip. Everyone at the table is shocked, and Sister tells Mama all about the adult words. Mama tells Sister that the words she heard from the video are not nice words, and should never be used by any cub, regardless of how angry or upset they are. When Sister asks whether grown-ups use those words, Mama sternly turns her attention to Papa. Papa starts to tell Sister about situations when grown-ups do use bad words (E.G hitting their thumb with a hammer, or when wrong moves occur in sports), only to be cut off by Mama. Mama then reiterates her point to Sister, that no one, Cubs or adults, should ever use swear words, since they just aren't nice. That night, as Sister is being tucked into bed, she asks Mama why Cubs and adults use swear, even though it isn't nice. Mama sighs, and answers that it just becomes a habit.
Step into Reading Books
The Berenstain Bears Go Up and Down
At the mall, some bears go up and down on the escalators. But they go too far when they go up the down escalator, and some go down the up escalator. The mall owner calls the police and the kids get back to their school.
Old Hat, New Hat
At a hat store, Momma discards her old hat and shops for a new one. She finds a reason to reject each hat that is brought to her, until she happens upon her old hat, declares it perfect, and leaves the store with it.
Big Chapter Books
The Berenstain Bears and the New Girl in Town
An ancient feud in Bear Country between the Bear and Grizzly clans has resurfaced while a new female cub named Bonnie Brown has transferred to Bear Country School. During her first day at the school, she ends up befriending Brother, who has developed a crush on her and vice versa. Meanwhile, a school rendition of Romeo and Juliet helps both clans realize what could happen if they continue to feud with one another. In the end, Brother and Bonnie are able to continue with their friendship.
The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree
It is Christmas, and Papa Bear and the cubs are told by Mama Bear to buy a Christmas tree. Instead of buying one from Grizzly Gus, they go out into the forest, despite the cold and snow, and find various trees that appear to be homes to all kinds of animals. When they come upon their last tree, Papa looks into a tiny window of the trunk and sees a family of snowbirds spending Christmas together and realizes that Christmas is the time to be thinking of family and friends. They head back to the Christmas tree lot, only to find that Gus has sold every last tree. They are disappointed until they see their own tree decorated with help from the animals who returned the kindess to them.
The Berenstain Bears and the Nerdy Nephew
Professor Actual Factual sends his nephew to school, Ferdinand "Ferdy" Factual, who is very smart but socially awkward. Queenie approaches Ferdy, who teaches her how to play chess. Brother, Freddie and Sister try to tell him that Queenie is only pretending to be his friend to get homework answers, but Ferdy doesn't believe this and ignores them. After school, Brother invites Ferdy to come to his place to play video games, but Ferdy declines the offer, as he agreed to meet Queenie to help her with schoolwork. The next day, when Ferdy plays chess by himself again, he sees Brother playing with the ball. He asks him to pass the ball, but Brother refuses as he looks like he is pretending he does not want it. Eventually Brother throws the ball, but Ferdy is talking to Queenie and does not see the ball coming, so hits him on the stomach. Queenie laughs and Ferdy runs away. Brother chases after him and tells Ferdy that he was showing off and apologizes. Brother also admits that he is concerned about an upcoming football game against a tough team, so Ferdy offers to help out by using his chess skills to look at play patterns. Brother's team manages to outwit their opponents thanks to Ferdy knowing which play patterns work best. The school cheers Brother and the players, and the coach says Ferdy is the best team manager he has ever had.
The Berenstain Bears' Media Madness
At the Bear Country School, the cubs help Mr. Bob set up a TV station. The cubs become very involved and forget their schoolwork.
The Bear Scouts
Brother and his friends are going camping by themselves, but Papa decides to come along bragging that he knows better than the guide book. Trouble occurs when Papa tries to prove himself smarter than the guide book; he makes a spaghetti knot to swing across a collapsed bridge, but it unties and Papa almost falls down a gorge and the cubs are forced to rescue him; When they come to a fork on the trail, the guide book says to go the long way, but Papa goes the short way and when he refuses to obey the guide book map, he finds a group of crocodiles on the short way and is forced to go up the long way; when the cubs are forced to go down a river, they build a canoe to travel down with, but Papa grows impatient and tries to use a log to go down the river and gets trapped into a whirlpool and the cubs are forced to rescue him again; Papa tries to make stew for dinner, but the cubs go fishing and Papa finds that his stew tastes horrible and he dumps it down a cliff; he then tries to sleep in a cave that night rather than tents, but is chased away by a group of bats and he injures himself as he falls down the cliff. The cubs bandage him and take him home to a displeased Mama.
Other books
The Berenstain Bears and the Big Road Race
Based on the story of the Tortoise and the Hare, Brother Bear participates in a road race under the name "Little Red", driving the Bears' family car, which is slower and less aerodynamic than the other racers. Brother keeps putting along while the other racers, identified by other colors speed off. One racer known as Blue hits a tree speeding through a hairpin turn while Brother rounds the curve carefully. Another one, known as Green (who is "quite mean") uses tacks to flatten the tires of Orange and Yellow while he is unconcerned about Little Red. An overconfident Green stops at a fast food joint, but "it turns out the food was not fast enough" as Brother comes along to get the checkered flag. The Bear family proudly celebrates Brother with his gold cup as the final line is what was recited for much of the story: "Putt, putt, putt, went Little Red".
The Berenstain Bears and the Broken Piggy Bank
When Mama and the cubs are at the store, Brother buys a toy airplane and Sister buys a teddy bear, but when Brother wants a toy truck too, Mama buys a piggy bank for the cubs, saying it will teach them to save wisely. Brother and Sister earn lots of money by doing chores, but Mama is shocked to find the piggy bank broken one day. She thinks the cubs will spend the money on such purchases as candy, comic books and rides at the Fun Park. She is shocked again when she realized that she misjudged the cubs, because they spent the money on Mama's birthday present.
The Berenstain Bears and the Wishing Star*
When Sister sees a teddy bear at the mall, she loves it and wants it. That night, Mama teaches Sister the rhyme of the wishing star. Sister wishes for the teddy bear. When the wish comes true, she wishes for an "A" on her work at school. When that wish comes true, she sees a pony on TV. She wishes for the pony, but the wish doesn't come true. Sister is very sad, so Brother tells her that she has to be careful of being greedy, because the wishing star doesn't listen to greedy requests. However Sister who apparently didn't learn a thing from the experience, and what Brother tells her, then says, "Well, two out of three isn't bad!"
The Berenstain Bears Get Lost in a Cave
Papa and the Bear Scouts Brother, Sister, Lizzy, and Cousin Freddy explore a cave, but, when they take many wrong curves, they get lost. Before long, they find a river that they think is another branch that could lead out of the cave. They go down the river and see a mini waterfall. When they go down it, Sister says the waterfall was a scary water ride at "Fun Park". The cubs want to do it again, but Papa says "NO!"
Get A Checkup
This is a poetic retelling of Go to the Doctor.
In this story the cubs are told that they are going to Doctor Grizzly's for a checkup. The cubs get nervous because Mama and Papa tell them that they are most likely going to get booster shots of medicine. After several tests by Dr. Grizzly, she helps them conquer their fears of booster shots; and learns that Papa is overweight, prescribing a diet for him until he gets into shape.
Storybook Bible for Little Ones
Told with words and pictures in the beloved Berenstain style, this padded board book is based on the bestselling the Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible and features eight stories from the Old and New Testaments. Perfect for little ones just learning about the Bible.
Living Lights
God Loves You
The Berenstain Bear series helps children learn how God wants them to live every day. When the Bear family practices going to church, praying, and being kind, plus remembering how much God loves them, their lives are much more joyful. In God Loves You! Brother and Sister Bear discover that God loves them, not because they’re successful, but because he made them. This book helps children appreciate the many ways God shows his love to them.
The Golden Rule
Should Sister Bear ignore the new girl at school just because her friends do? The Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule shows children how choosing to be kind may not always be the easy choice. But it is always the right one.
Go to Sunday School
The Berenstain Bear series helps children learn how God wants them to live every day. When the Bear family practices going to church, praying, and being kind, plus remembering how much God loves them, their lives are much more joyful. Sundays find the Bear family busily enjoying all sorts of activities, But church isn’t one of them. In The Berenstain Bears Go to Sunday School¸ children discover the value of going to church and Sunday School as a family. The Berenstain Bears Go to Sunday School was the 2009 Retailers Choice Award winner in the Children’s Fiction category.
Say Their Prayers
In The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers, Brother Bear discovers that God answers every prayerâ€"in his own way and time. Children will learn, along with Brother Bear, that praying isn’t just for bedtime.
Play a Good Game
The Little Lights Berenstain Bear series helps children learn how God wants them to live every day. Coach Papa Bear wants his team to play fair. But the other coach just wants to win. The Berenstain Bears Play Fair shows that players and coaches should act in a way that pleases God.
Give Thanks
The Living Lights Berenstain Bear series helps children learn how God wants them to live every day. The Berenstain cubs act out the first Thanksgivingâ€"complete with costumes, props and a full Thanksgiving feast. But will Sister Bear’s pet turkey play the part of dinner? The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks teaches how God provided for the pilgrims and reminds children of God’s many blessings.
Christmas Tree
Finding the perfect Christmas tree is very important for Papa Bear and the cubs. But while hunting for that one special tree, the family meets up with other animals that live in them. Papa, Brother, and Sister realize that the trees are perfect homes for the animals and show kindness and love for their fellow Bear Country friends by not cutting them down. The animals from the forest work together to thank the Bear Family in a wonderful and unique way.
Discover God's Creation
God’s creation, we have found, has a better picture and better sound. And worlds of wonder all around! Thanks, Lord, for this world we’ve found! Mama Bear pulls the plug on TV and the Bear cubs are upset! What are they going to do now? All it takes is a peek outside for Brother and Sister to see that God has given them a beautiful world that is far more fun than the TV screen.
Job Well Done
It's spring cleaning time for the bears and Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear need to clean their playhouse. They are quickly distracted so Papa Bear steps in to teach them what the Bible has to say about finishing the job and doing their best.
Joy of Giving
In The Berenstain Bears and The Joy of Giving Brother and Sister Bear can’t wait for Christmas and all the presents they’ll open. But during the Christmas Eve pageant, something special happens! The Bear cubs learn a very valuable lesson about the joy of giving to others.
Forgiving Tree
When Cousin Fred accidentally damages Brother's brand-new bike,Brother Bear is angry. Can Sister Bear help him see that forgiving hisfriend is the right thing to do?
Holy Bible NIrV
Perfect for school, church, and home, The Berenstain Bears Holy Bible, NIrV is a large-print Bible for early readers. It uses the complete text of the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) written at a third-grade reading level. With 18 full-color pages of the popular Berenstain Bears illustrations with related biblical virtues, it is just right for beginning readers to embark on their first exploration of the Bible with friendly faces guiding the way.
Follow God's Word
This five-book collection of the highly popular Living Lights™ Berenstain Bears® stories provides children with an ideal gift they will enjoy for years to come. The biblical values, morals, and life lessons are invaluable for children throughout every stage of their lives. Includes 5 stories: The Berenstain Bears: Kindness Counts; The Berenstain Bears Go to Sunday School; The Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule; The Berenstain Bears: God Loves You; and The Berenstain Bears Say Their Prayers.
Get Ready for Christmas
Help Brother, Sister, and Honey search the Bear family tree house to find their “bearloom†manger scene in this memorable and fun lift-the-flap Christmas story.
Gossip Gang
In The Berenstain Bears and the Gossip Gang, talking about others makes Sister feel like she is special, even if what is said might not be true. But when rumors are spread about her, Sister begins to understand just how hurtful gossip can be.
Here's the Church, Here's the Steeple
Join the Berenstain Bear family and discover all that goes on in both the Chapel in the Woods and Sunday school with this fun and interactive lift-the-flap.
Let the Bible Be Your Guide
“Papa, in the book of Proverbs we are told, ‘Choose knowledge rather than gold.’†The Scout Guidebook says: Rule Number Twoâ€" ‘Don’t ever stand up in a canoe!’†Papa and the Bear Scouts are off on a canoe adventure hoping to earn their White Water Badges. But will Scoutmaster Papa follow the rules the way he should?
Love Their Neighbors
Based on the Good Samaritan, it says everyone in Bear Country takes pride in their personal appearance and their houses, from the simple farmhouse of Farmer Ben to the stately manor of Squire Grizzly. However, there is one place in Bear Country that is an eyesore, a rundown shanty owned by the Bogg Brothers, who are also uncouth and spit tobacco on the road in public. When the Bears' are on their way to a harvest fair, their car breaks down. All of their friends pass by, but apologize for being unable to help, citing their responsibilities at the fair. One group does help, the grungy Bogg brothers, who tow the Bears' car to a gas station owned by their Uncle Zeke. Zeke deduces the problem was a ruptured air hose and even replaces the damaged part on the house. The Bears learn a lesson that being a good neighbor is more than appearances when the Bogg brothers are glad to help, confident the Bears would have done the same for them in a reversed scenario. The Boggs then perform hoedown music in the fair for everyone, but the Bears feel they owe the Boggs for their aid, so they invite them to dinner the following week. The Boggs come to the Bears' home, not their usual rough cut selves, but well dressed and acting polite.
Perfect Fishing Spot
Papa, Brother, and Sister Bear search for the perfect fish for dinner. But when Papa’s ideas don’t go as planned, will they rely on Mama’s advice?
Reap the Harvest
“That’s the way it is with farming. Same way it is with faith . . . our true reward may come later on-in God’s good time.†Brother and Sister take a summer job on Farmer Ben’s farm. But will their hard work pay off at the end of summer?
Show Some Respect
"Honor your father and your mother," Exodus 20:12 In The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect even good cubs can fall into bad habits. Brother and Sister have gotten into the habit of sometimes treating their Mama and Papa with less than the respect they deserve. Mama and Papa occasionally forget their manners towards their parents as well! When Gramps and Gran notice the change in the Bear Family attitude, they call them on it and point out that everyone deserves a little respect.
Trouble with Secrets
“Secrets are fun. But it’s more fun to share! So welcome!†said Brother and Sister Bear. It looks like Brother and Sister Bear are sneaking around Bear Country! Cousin Fred and Lizzy are curious. What could their friends be up to?
Faith Gets Us Through
The Bear Scouts are ready to earn their Cave Adventure Merit Badges. How will Scoutmaster Papa Bear help the cubs?
God Made the Seasons
Winter, spring, summer, fall, Brother and Sister Bear love them all! Read all about the seasons in Bear Country!
God Bless the Animals
An owl in the tree, an alligator in the swamp … who else will you meet? Join the Bear family on a nature walk through Bear Country!
Easter Story
"He has risen!" Mark 16:6 Brother and Sister have come to value all the candy and Easter eggs they get on Easter morning. But a much more important value gets emphasized one Eastern morn when Papa read them the Easter story (featuring people not bears).
Get Involved
A storm hits Bear Country, and Bear Country might flood! It’s up to the Bear family and the rest of the rescue team at the Chapel in the Woods to come together and save their community.
God Bless our Home
The Bear Family seems to be outgrowing the tree house. But God has blessed them with happy memories in their home, and no one really wants to move. Can they find a way to stay?
Trouble with Things
In this new Berenstain Bear, Living Lights 8x8 The Berenstain Bears and The Trouble with Things, the Bears are dealing with a typical family issue … the idea that they need “things.†And even more things! Brother Bear wants a Space Grizzlies play set. Sister Bear begs for a Bearbie dream house. Even Papa Bear thinks he needs a new fishing rod! But thanks to Mama Bear’s wisdom the family learns that God offers more than just material things.
Storybook Bible
Join Papa, Mama, Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear as they read favorite Bible stories together as a family and imagine what it would have been like to see Adam and Eve in the garden, watch Noah build the ark, and listen as Jesus tells a parable to the people. Told with words and pictures in the beloved Berenstain style, twenty-three Old and New Testament stories come alive for young readers.
Thanksgiving Blessings
Ride along with the Bear family on Thanksgiving Day as Brother and Sister learn about all the things theyâ€"and YOUâ€"can be thankful for … including faith, family, and the huge feast waiting for them at the end of their journey to Gramp’s and Gran’s. Includes a sheet of colorful stickers featuring the whole Bear family.
Valentine Blessings
The Country Cousins hockey team has been practicing every day for the big game against their rivals, the Beartown Bullies. But when Brother receives a Valentine in the mail from a secret “Sweetie Bear†he doesn’t know what do. Will the Valentine keep him from playing his best at the hockey game or will he learn an important lesson about love?
Keep the Faith
When Brother and Sister Bear’s friend Ferdy Factual tells them he doesn’t believe God created the world, the Bear cubs don’t know what to think. What does it mean to have faith? Can Preacher Brown help?
Blessed are the Peacemakers
Most of the cubs at Bear Country School get along most of the time. But when rivals are cast opposite each other in the school play, Romeo and Grizzliet, Brother and Sister Bear have to decide if they should mind their own business or get involved as peacemakers to save the performance.
Biggest Brag
Brother and Sister Bear both like to be the bestâ€"the best soccer player, the best student, the best artist. But when Gramps overhears the cubs bickering about who can see the most unusual cloud formations he puts a stop to the arguing. Being proud of a special talent from God is one thing, but bragging about it is foolish.
God Made You Special
In this newest 8x8 softcover title in the Berenstain Bears Living Lights collection, the Bruins join the Bear family for a cookout and bring their cousin Tommy along. It isn’t long before the cubs start up a game of baseball and Sister soon notices that Tommy doesn’t play like the rest of the group. When Sister asks about Tommy, Mama takes the opportunity to talk to Sister about how God makes each of us unique in our own way. And that we all have special gifts and talents to share with the folks around us.
Country Cookbook
It’s The Berenstain Bears' Country Cookbook! Bear lovers everywhere are sure to find favorite recipes for fun food in this new kid-friendly, cookbookâ€"ranging from Bear favorites that use honey and berries to pie, a delicious stew, and even some Berenstain favorites like Jan Berenstain’s famous green lasagna. Featuring breakfast, lunch, main meal, and dessert recipes as well as kid-friendly cooking tips such as food and measurement conversions, this is sure to become a go-to cookbook for delicious and fun recipes kids can cook with an adult.
God Bless our Country
In the newest Berenstain Bear Living Lights 8x8 title, the glorious fourth has arrived and the Bear family is busy decorating with flags and bunting. Brother, Sister and Honey are anticipating the big parade and all the fireworks but aren’t really thinking about the true meaning of the day. But Mama and Papa make sure the cubs know just how much Bear Country is blessed with a quick lesson about the first Fourth of July.
Harvest Festival
Autumn is a beautiful time of year, and the folks of Bear Country are looking forward to everything the season brings. So when the Chapel in the Woods holds its first ever Harvest Festival, people gather at Farmer Ben’s for a wonderful time of family, friends, fun, and praising God for his gifts.
Storybook Bible for Little Ones
The Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible for Toddlers is perfect for young children. Now toddlers have a padded board book edition designed just for them, with simple text, bright art, and a padded cover. This cute and durable edition provides an overview of the Bible with ten stories from the Old and New Testaments that follow the Bear family as they explore Scripture. The Berenstain Bears Storybook Bible for Toddlers is fun and enlightening for kids and a great resource for parents and educators.
Very First Christmas
The beloved Berenstain Bears tell the story of the first Christmas in The Berenstain Bears, The Very First Christmas. Fans of the Berenstain Bears read all about Jesus’ coming from the angel’s announcement of a new baby to the visit of the three wise men.
I Can Read
Jobs Around Town
Searching for the perfect job, the Bear siblings learn to celebrate the many talents of others and begin to imagine where their own God-given gifts will take them as they grow.
Neighbor in Need
The Good Deed Scouts are on the lookout for someone to help … and who do they see? It’s Mrs. Grizzle doing her yard work! Will she let the cubs help?
Kitten Rescue
The Good Deed Scouts are on the lookout for someone to help … and they hear the mewing of a kitten in a tall tree! Will the cubs save the day?
Little Lost Cub
Helping a lost cub find his mother is a perfect good deed for the Scouts. After all, if they are living by God’s example, they cannot let even the smallest go astray! Will they find the cub’s mother and bring them back together?
Mama's Helpers
The Good Deed Scouts are a group of bear cubs committed to doing a good deed each and every day. In this Berenstain Bears® Living Lights™ level one I Can Read, scouts Brother, Sister, Cousin Fred, and Lizzy set forth to find a good deed to do. The scouts decide that it is a good idea to help Mama Bear with her every day chores around the tree house. Emergent readers quickly learn that with kindness and cooperation, work gets done and then the fun can begin. Biblical values are brought out and Bible verses are quoted in this new addition to the highly successful I Can Read series. In addition to the faith-based messages always found in Zonderkidz books, we have the benefit of having our young readers learn about life’s truths and lessons with the beloved Berenstain Bear cubs.
Good Deeds Scouts to the Rescue
This three-book collection of popular Berenstain Bear Good Deed Scout I Can Read stories will provide young readers with valuable reading skills practice as well as lessons about serving and caring for others.
Help the Homeless
The spooky, old house on Spook Hill would make the perfect homeless shelter for Bear Country. The Good Deed Scouts and Old Tom better get busy with repairs!
Honey Hunt Helpers
A series of faith-based values readers inspired by the classic Berenstain Bears book, The Berenstain Bears and the Good Deed, recently acquired for reprint by Zonderkidz. The Good Deed Scouts are a group of bear cubs who are committed to doing a good deed each and every day. Scouts Brother, Sister, Cousin Fred and Lizzy set forth in each story to find a good deed to do. Each book begins with a Bible verse about the importance of doing good deeds to help others. Each story tells about a different need in the community that the scouts can fulfill, a different way in which they can be of service. By doing good deeds for others, the Good Deed Scouts bring out the best in others as well. Soon those they serve are doing good deeds in return. From this small seed helping and caring for others grows and blossoms throughout the whole community. Biblical values are brought out and Bible verses are quoted.
Thank God for Good Health
Have Brother and Sister taken care of themselves as God would want? Go with the Bear family to Dr. Grizzly’s office and read all about it.
God Made the Colors
Red, yellow, blue, and more, the Bear cubs take a color tour! Bear Country comes alive with color as Brother and Sister teach us about God’s colorful world. Written in simple rhyme and classic Berenstain rhythm, level one readers will enjoy this tour of Bear Country.
Good Deed Scouts Help Their Neighbors
In this collection of three stories, young readers will learn from the Good Deed Scouts just how important it is to serve others. Written in the level one of the I Can Read standards, these bind-ups of stories from the Berenstain Bears Living Lights series are sure to please emergent readers. Parents will appreciate these quality stories that help children practice early reading skills and learn about caring for others. Books included in this collection are: The Berenstain Bears Mama’s Helpers, Help the Homeless, and Honey Hut Helpers.
Piggy Bank Blessings
In The Berenstain Bears’ Piggy Bank Blessings, a level one Berenstain Bears® Living Lights I Can Read™, Mama Bear thinks it is time to teach the cubs about saving money for something special. Even the Bible says each one of us should put aside some of our earnings! But will the cubs listen to Mama and scripture, or will they spend their money on things they do not need?
Do Not Fear God is Near
Sister Bear has overcome many fears like bugs, big dogs, and storms. But even with the reminder that God is always watching over her, there are some things that still scare the young cub. Will Sister remember to trust in God when something spooky startles her? Young readers will appreciate the lessons Sister Bear learns from Papa in The Berenstain Bears Do Not Fear, God Is Near, the newest Berenstain Bears® Living Lights™ Level One I Can Read.
References
External links
The following list contains all Berenstain Bears storybooks and activity/coloring books, as well as non-Bears books by the Berenstains.
- Complete Berenstain Bears Bibliography