The Berestain Bears Lend a Helping Hand

      The Berenstain Bears Lend a Helping Hand  by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Illustrator: Stan Berenstain

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Date of Publication: September 26, 2012

ISBN #: 100679889566

Pages: 32

Theme: Family, School, Social Behavior,

Format: Electronic

Ages: Preschool to Grade 2

      The Berestain Bears are back at teaching us more lessons with Brother and Sister Bear in their latest adventure and learning the importance of others and being nice, caring and thoughtful cubs. Mama Bear is worried her children are a little bit too selfish, it’s up to her to show them it’s better to nice and helpful to others than to always be thinking of themselves. What turns into a chore, the young bear cubs learn the importance of helping Mrs. McGrizz cross the street, help her with her groceries and clean out her attic.

      One of the many reasons why The Berenstain Bears still seem to be popular and relevant in early literacy in today’s culture and society is because of the lessons they teach in their stories. “The Berenstain Bears highlights the value of positive family interaction, their stories encourage positive social behavior like cooperation and respecting others.” (Publisher’s Weekly) Stan and Jan Berenstain have created a classic series that although centers on a family of bears, their lifestyle is very similar to our own, it’s relatable and teaches basic lessons on family and school life.

This is just one excellent story that teaches a small act of kindness. Brother and Sister bear are very much into their own lives and don’t necessarily see the good in helping others, including their family. While Mama is a bit worried and sees that old Mrs. McGrizz needs helps, she jumps at the chance to offer her children to help McGrizz. Not exactly thrilled to spend an afternoon away from their play time, brother and sister help bring in Mrs. McGrizz’s groceries and clean out her attic, the cubs enjoy the time spent with their neighbor and ultimately feel better having helped her. “The Berenstain Bears encourages positive social interaction and helps kids develop an appreciation of family relationships, which will give them a solid foundation of social development to prepare them for interacting with other children and the world.” (PBS Tracker) These stories have been around for years and continue to be fun, popular and a great way to teach children basic and invaluable lessons they need to know in the home and at school. The Berenstain Bears almost needs to be a requirement in schools and libraries, not just on the shelves but a major part of story time and teaching lessons in school and library settings.

I grew up reading and absolutely loving The Berenstain Bears, it was a defining part of my childhood because it taught me many life lessons. My mother was not a particularly big fan of these books but my sister and I loved them, so she was forced into reading a lot of Berestain Bears when it came to reading before bedtime.

(images via google)