One of my daughter’s favorite book series is the famous Berenstain Bears. Yesterday we took a trip to Barnes and Nobles and she found what she wanted.
Like many of the other Berenstain Bears books, this one was filled with great knowledge about life and the importance of living a healthy balance life. As Precious (4), looked at the pictures, she told the story the way she thought it was happening. She said the Brother and Sister bear were watching television when they weren’t supposed to. She also became concerned when’d she saw Mama Bear talking to Papa Bear like a child. She said “he’s an adult.”
After reading the story to her she understood that the family had been watching so much t.v that they no longer enjoyed the rest of their lives. They forgot how to talk to one another and the simple pleasure of life were no longer a joy. As Mama Bear told the family that they were taking a week off of watching t.v, Papa thought that he was excluded. Although the picture portrays Mama Bear scolding Papa Bear, this isn’t really the context of the story. In the end the family finds out they they can still watch t.v while having balance in the rest of their lives.
I like this story and the message. It teaches our kids that too much t.v is to good for them or for our family. It also shows the value of family time and communication. There is even a part where the rest of the family is watching t.v while Mama reads a book. One thing that stood out to me was the fact that although she read books, when she addressed the family, Mama included herself in the problem. Gotta love Mama Bear.
The only thing that I disagree with is some of the illustration. Since this is a kids book, the pictures say a lot. There are certain photos, like the one above that make Papa look like a child. I don’t think fathers should be portrayed in this light.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars