The+Berenstain+Bears+and+The+Truth



= The Berenstain Bears and The Truth = = Written and Illustrated by Stan and Jan Berenstain = Book Review by Cyndi Fedorko


 * Biographical Data: **

Title: //The Berenstain Bears and The Truth// Authors/ Illustrators: Stan and Jan Berenstain Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; First Edition (September 12, 1983). Paperback: $3.15 Amazon.com ISBN-13: 978-0394856407 Pages: 32 Age Range: 3-7 years Language: English

The Berenstain Bears and The Truth tells the tale of a "lazy sort of day" in Bear Country, "the sort of day that sometimes lead[s] to mischief". Left home alone, Brother and Sister Bear get into an argument about what to do, and end up having a soccer ball dribbling contest inside, one thing that both Brother and Sister Bear know is against the rules. During the contest, the ball accidentally knocks over and breaks Mama Bear's favorite lamp. Brother Bear quickly hides the soccer ball, just as Mama Bear returns from the store. Mama Bear immediately notices her favorite lamp is smashed, and asks Brother and Sister what happened. Brother and Sister blame the broken lamp on a bird that is sitting on a tree branch outside the window. Eventually, the truth comes out, and Brother and Sister confess to breaking the lamp. In the end, the bears learn that "no matter how you hope, no matter how you try, you can't make truth out of a lie." ** Analysis of A Literary Element -- Theme: ** The theme of this story is a very important moral about telling the truth. Stan and Jan Berenstein use characters, plot and other literary devices to motivate this moral about telling the truth. For example, the setting explicitly details the day in Bear Country to be "the sort of day that sometimes lead[s] to mischief." The character development is limited to simple details that motivate the theme in the end of the story. Then, in the plot's rising action, the stage is set for the lie, in the climax the lie is told, and in the falling action, the lie is resolved through the truth. Finally, the theme is revealed in the resolution of the story as Brother and Sister Bear learn never to lie again, because lies break trust and trust is not easily glued back together as a lamp might be. Illustrations support the plot development, and the theme throughout the book. For example, when Mama and Papa Bear find out Brother and Sister are lying, the illustrations communicate how disappointed and angry they are at the children. In the end, this provides a fun way to set an example for young children, or teach about how important honesty is. As a child, I loved all of The Berenstein Bears books, but my absolute favorite book was The Berenstien Bears and The Truth. The Berenstein Bears books always provide a good lesson, or moral at the end of the story, but present this moral in a fun and engaging way for all children to enjoy. The Berenstein Bears and The Truth is no different. This story especially applies to children learning how to properly behave and appropriately act. The story is relatable, as it is easy for me to picture myself stuck in a similar situation. In fact, whenever I get into a situation where I contemplate lying, I still think about this particular story. The Bears always remind me that no matter how good lying seems, it will always hurt me in the end, and it is better just to tell the truth. Therefore, I think that this book sets a good example for children, while also teaching about important literary devices, such as themes.
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 * Author Bio: **

Stan and Jan Berenstain were both born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1923. They both attended the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Arts, and met during their time there in 1941. Stan served in the military from 1943 to 1946 as a medical illustrator at an army hospital in Indiana. During this time, Stan began to draw and publish his own cartoons. Meanwhile, Jan worked as a draftsman for the Army Corps of Engineers as well as an aircraft riveter building the navy’s PBY flying boat. Stan and Jan married in 1948 and both quickly began drawing cartoons for popular magazines. They had two children Leo and Mike, who inspired them to create their own children’s books. They created their own series of children books, The Berenstain Bears, in 1962 with the help of Dr. Seuss as their editor and publisher. They continued to create over 200 books until Stan passed away at the age of 82 in 2005. The Berenstain Bears were a huge success, and even became an animated TV show in 1979. The Berenstain Bears have also been the theme of plays, stage musicals, and multiple amusement parks. Today, there is a permanent Berenstain Bears exhibit at the Strong Museum in Rochester, New York. Random House and HarperCollins now publish the still popular series. Although Jan died in February 2012 at the age of 88, Mike Berenstain, Stan and Jan’s son continues to write and illustrate Berenstain Bears books.


 * Related Links: **

http://www.amazon.com/Berenstain-Bears-Truth-Stan/dp/0394856406 http://www.berenstainbears.com/ media type="youtube" key="FOyeJBevCjo" width="420" height="315"