The Berenstain Bears series of books have been around for a while. They teach toddlers & pre-schoolers some crucial lessons regarding habits, behaviour, manners, dealing with anxiety, etc. There are two schools of thought around these series: Some parents feel these books are outdated and preachy. While many parents find them helpful to solve issues with their young children.
Last year, on a visit to the famous Atta Galata in Bangalore, we discovered they had an entire book rack dedicated to The Berenstain Bears books! When we asked them, we were told, parents STILL find them relevant and very helpful. In our #kbcMember Priya Sood’s words:
In my school Library I would head straight to where these books would be and issue one at a time. I just loved the setting of a complete family doing interesting things together. Now as a Mother, I love reading these books together for the value and the lessons it teaches.
That’s why we decided to curate a thread of this series here for our members’ as a ready reckoner. The book title will take you to amazon.in via our affiliate link. Do let us know which ones you have read and which ones have helped you deal with toddler issues!
You can find all the books in The Berenstain Bears series here. They are appropriate for 3-7 years.
There’s a compilation of 10 stories called The Berenstain Bears’ Storytime Collection (The Berenstain Bears) which works out more economical. Bhuvana has shared the inside pages as well as contents page in the fb group here so you know which 10 are included.
BOOKS ON DEVELOPING GOOD HABITS:
The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Habit – about overcoming bad habits
Our #kbcMember Zeeshan had posted a #kbcQuery about a habit her son had. Read her heartening feedback about this book that we recommended!
The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room – about tidying up
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food – about eating healthy
The Berenstain Bears’ Bedtime Battle – about bedtimes
Berenstain Bears Clean House – about keeping the house clean
The Berenstain Bears Lend a Helping Hand – about helping everyone
BOOKS THAT TRY TO IMPROVE TODDLER BEHAVIOUR:
Read #kbcMember Priya Sood’s review on The Berenstain Bears by the Sea – a book about the importance of patience (while the family is on a holiday!)
The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners – about the importance of good manners
The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight – about fighting with siblings
The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Friends – about friendship
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much TV – about TV addiction – this seems to be a popular choice as many parents face this issue! #kbcMember Vandana has this book and says,
Nothing is good or bad. Balance of all is what we need.
Too much TV is a lovely book, teaches how gadgets and screen time are turning into a lifestyle disorder. We are sticking to these gadgets the whole day without blinking our eyes. It is taking away all the adventure and happiness from our lives like star-gazing, cycling, fishing and family time. Time to hit the pause button and bring back real life from reel life.
The Berenstain Bears No Girls Allowed – about the importance of being fair
The Berenstain Bears and the Green-Eyed Monster – about jealousy
The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat – about the difference between right and wrong
The Berenstain Bears’ Mad, Mad, Mad Toy Craze – about how kids want ALL THE TOYS!
The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies – about self-control
The Berenstain Bears’ Trouble with Money – about being responsible with money
The Berenstain Bears and the Blame Game – about taking responsibility
The Berenstain Bears and the Truth – about honesty
#kbcMember and parent Vandana says “This is another favourite book, how important it is to be Truthful. Such values last for a lifetime. We should have the courage to accept our mistakes and tell the truth no matter what. We too have this family rule.
To quote the book,
“No matter how you hope,
No matter how you try,
You can’t make truth
Out of lie.”
The Berenstain Bears and the Big Blooper – about learning and using a bad word and how to stop your little one from repeating the mistake.
BOOKS ABOUT SCHOOL ISSUES
The Berenstain Bears Go to School – about the importance of going to school
Namita is a very active #kbcMember parent. A teacher by profession, she has a very active and early reader toddler. This is what she has to say about this book,
This was a very helpful book for me as well as for my son, Joy, who was 2 years old when he just started play school. In the initial days he was reluctant to go to school and threw tantrums every day. I got this book delivered on Joy’s 5th day of school. I read the story to him quite a number of times to make him realise how interesting and fun it is to go to school. He loved Sister Bear and listened to the story attentively. It was then, on the 7th day when he actually got settled and happily went to school 🙂
.
The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble at School – about discipline
The Berenstain Bears and the Bully – about dealing with bullies and problem-solving
The Berenstain Bears and the Homework Hassle – about homework
The Berenstain Bears’ Report Card Trouble – about the importance to do well in school
The Berenstain Bears and the Excuse Note – about exercise
BOOKS THAT ADDRESS YOUNG CHILDREN’S FEARS & ANXIETY:
The Berenstain Bears In The Dark – for kids who are afraid of the dark while sleeping
The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Dream – about getting nightmares
The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor – about going to the doctor
The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist – about going to the dentist
The Berenstain Bears: Hospital Friends – about visiting a hospital
The Berenstain Bears Get Stage Fright – about gaining self confidence and being brave
The Berenstain Bears and the Big Road Race – about sportsmanship
The Berenstain Bears and the In-Crowd – about the importance of being yourself
The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day – about preparing to move
The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers – about dealing with strangers
BOOKS ABOUT KINDNESS, EMPATHY, FAMILY BONDING
The Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need – about generosity
The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby – about adapting to change
The Berenstain Bears and Baby Makes Five – about having a new baby in the house
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Teasing – about kindness
The Berenstain Bears and the Week at Grandma’s – about respecting elders
The Berenstain Bears and the Papa’s Day Surprise – about the importance of family
The Berenstain Bears and the Mama’s Day Surprise – about thoughtfulness
The Berenstain Bears Count Their Blessings – about being grateful
The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Grownups – about empathy
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Pressure – about being appreciative
The Berenstain Bears’ New Neighbors – about treating everyone the same
He Bear, She Bear – about gender equality
The Berenstain Bears’ Just Grin and Bear It! – Mona highly recommends this one. Quoting her: “The book can be read by anyone. It gives you strength for patiently waiting and planning ahead. You will definitely feel good after reading the book.”
OTHERS :
When I Grow Up: The Bernstein Bears – about what does one want to be when one grows up!
The Berenstain Bears: We Love the Library – about saving their library
The Berenstain Bears Don’t Pollute (Anymore) – about caring for the planet
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Birthday – about birthdays
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Vacation – about making the best out of the worst situation
The BERENSTAIN BEARS GO TO CAMP – about going to camp for the first time and all the exciting activities that happen!
Shout-out to our 13yo Intern-In-Residence (Aarini – The Chief Childoo) for posting this.
[Note from Team Kids Book Café: For your convenience, affiliate links (MARKED IN PINK) to some of the books have been added to enable you to buy the books from AMAZON, should you wish to! A very small amount of money comes to kidsbookcafe.com when you purchase a book via the amazon affiliate link provided (at no extra cost to you!). Do let us know if you need information about other children’s books by writing to asha@kidsbookcafe.com.]
