In this blog article, I'll discuss another one of my childhood favs. This time it's not just one children's book, but a series of books: The Berenstain Bears' series, by Stan & Jan Berenstain.
I loved how these books came in hard cover and how there were so many variations of stories. I remember going to the library and being excited at all the choices and not knowing which one to choose next. Oh, the excitement of diving into a new story!
Impressions
I think I was drawn to The Berenstain Bears' books because they were so relatable. For those of you who haven't read the series, each book is based on an event or circumstance, such as Going to the Doctor or Get in a Fight or Messy Room.
If I was going through an experience as a child, I could easily understand it more with these stories and illustrations. I think they helped me bring my thoughts and feelings to life. This is the gift of writing; it can help others feel seen and make sense of what is going on in their life. The Berenstain Bears' books did that for me as a kid.
The Berenstain Bears family was comprised of Papa, Mama, Brother, Sister, and Honey (baby sister). I have an older brother and lived with both my parents, so the family structure was also something I could relate to (minus baby sister). And as silly as it sounds, the bears were also brown, like me, and I think that added to the appeal. In the 1980s and 1990s, there weren't many children's books that had diversity in them (I can't recall any at the moment). Now, I know, this book series features bears, but something about skin color representation makes a difference for a young child, even if they are bears haha.
The art was fairly simple too. And the way the characters were depicted was always so cute and cartoonish. I think the characters came off as approachable and interesting to learn more about. I still think the books are cute and fun to read :)
As I've put more thought into what I liked about certain children's books growing up, I think I really enjoyed simplicity in both story/parable and artwork. I don't think I was ever one to be drawn to all the bells and whistles in books (or life), just good old fashioned story and ideas. That's the beauty of literature, there's so many options to choose from!
I'll discuss one more childhood book favs in my next blog article. Subscribe to get alerted when the next one comes out!
Wish you all a happy almost spring!