Gossip, Journalism, and Junior High Justice! This week on Deep In Bear Country, I am joined once again by the first-ever guest of the show, Mitzi — now a fully fledged junior high student with opinions and receipts. Together, we dive headfirst into one of the most wild Big Chapter Books in Berenstain history: “The Berenstain Bears and the School Scandal Sheet” (1994).
THRILL as we spiral into debates over gossip, freedom of the press, teacher-student dynamics, too-tall’s surprising Dally energy, and why you probably shouldn’t let children run a newspaper. Also: The Outsiders vs The Berenstain Bears, printers: who has them?, and a lot of editing around my stupid mic!
“We ate our honey. We ate a lot. Now we have no honey in our honey pot!”
This week on Deep in Bear Country, we’re taking a nostalgic look back at The Big Honey Hunt (1963)—the very first Berenstain Bears book!
Join me as I revisit this classic, explore its origins, and discuss how Stan and Jan Berenstain’s collaboration with Dr. Ted “Theodore” Geisel shaped the Bear Family we know today. From rejected story ideas to wild illustrations and Papa Bear’s very questionable honey-hunting methods, this episode has it all! Or, some. Has it some.
Plus, what’s next for the show as we approach the 10th anniversary?
This week we’re diving deep into The Berenstain Bears’ St. Patrick’s Day—and wow, do we have a lot to unpack. Apparently, Ireland doesn’t exist in Bear Country?! This book raises so many questions, like: How does St. Patrick’s Day fit into the world of the Berenstain Bears? Why does Brother Bear have zero clue what St. Patrick’s Day is? Is this book reinforcing cultural stereotypes… or just having fun? What’s the real history behind leprechauns, corned beef, and Irish-American traditions? And most importantly—what does The Great Bear War have to do with any of this?!
Buckle up, Bear Country—this one’s a doozy. This week, we dive into The Berenstain Bears: God Made You Special, a book that on the surface has the best of intentions but stumbles hard into some serious pitfalls. What happens when a children’s book about faith and differences accidentally reinforces inspiration porn, infantilization, and outdated disability tropes? A very uncomfortable discussion.
Join the conversation! Drop your thoughts in the comments, share your own favorite (or least favorite) books about disability, and let’s talk about how we can create a more inclusive Bear Country.
Did The Berenstain Bears’ New Neighbors really tackle racism? Or was it just another 90s attempt at a “message book” that missed the mark? In this episode of Deep in Bear Country, we take a deep dive into the 1994 classic that started it all—literally! This is the book that launched this podcast, but I’ve never properly covered it… until now.
What we’ll uncover:
Is Papa Bear actually racist?
What does this book say about prejudice and inclusion?
How does Bear Country’s “specism” reflect real-world biases?
The wild history of octagon houses (it’s relevant).
Why did this book disappear from my show for SO MANY YEARS?
PLUS: We’ll explore how The Berenstain Bears’ New Neighbors still holds up in today’s world, why it feels eerily relevant now, and what lessons we can take from it.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts!
This week, I’m circling back to a book I skipped over for whatever reason and… wow, it’s a thoughtful piece of writing for kids. A surprisingly complex look at Culture of Violence Theory, it’s “The Berenstain Bears and No Guns Allowed!”
New Year, Same Show. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Share and Share Alike!” and are you ready to start off 2025 with some ETHICAL QUESTIONS?! I hope so. I really hope so.
Oh, thank God we’re done. It’s the FINAL edition of “The Berenstain Bears’ Holiday Cookbook” and we MADE IT TO CHRISTMAS and ELANA IS HERE and we’re FINALLY DONE and that CAKE did NOT turn OUT.
When the Bear Family finds themselves overbooked and running late, they turn to one of the Biblical Prophets(?) to solve(??) the lateness problem(???). It’s “The Berenstain Bears Bears On Time Solving The Lateness Problem!”
Welcome to Episode 01? of Deep In Bear Country! I mean, it must be because we’re just now meeting the Berenstain Bears. Also, all of my episodes have disappeared so this might very well be the beginning. It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Meet the Berenstain Bears!”
Ghouls and Ghosts and Ghosts and Gob-o-lins! It’s Halloween time and this week, we’ve got a board book from 2020 that warms my dark little heart. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Halloween Is Sweet!” and… it is!
When is a bully not a bully? When he’s BEING BULLIED! And, who better to fill in as history’s greatest bully than… Joseph Dreamcoat? The Bible Guy? Or, something. Brian and Mark are here to help me try to make some sort of sense of “The Berenstain Bears Stand Up To Bullying!”
You ever wonder what’s on a FARM? You ever see all those closed doors and windows and gates and wish you could just RRRRIP ’em open?! Well, now you can with the Lift-the-Flap extravaganza “The Berenstain Bears Visit the Farm!”
Want some absolutely generic advice coupled with random pictures from Berenstain Bears books of recent years past? Well, have I got a book for you! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Just Grin And Bear It!”
Pop the fireworks and blow the… horns? Happy belated Fourth of July to you and yours and welcome Elana back to talk about the patriotic treats in “The Berenstain Bears’ Holiday Cookbook!”
When is a lesson not a lesson? When God steps in and gives you a pass anyway! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Patience, Please” and it really isn’t about patience! At all!
This week, Sister Bear faces a moral quandry and it’s up to the ol’ SHOULDER ANGEL to save the day. Will sister do the right thing? Find out in “The Berenstain Bears Do The Right Thing!”
The Bear Family is all set to honor their fathers and HONER THEIR FATHER by sending Gramps and Papa out on a boat for the day. But, what’s this?! SINGING? Who’d a thought?! Also, the origins of Father’s Day. Also, the INCREDIBLY SAD STORY of the guy who wrote the hymn about the music of the spheres. ALSO, it’s The Berenstain Bears Father’s Day Blessings!
Brother and Sister get a real crash course in theodicy this week when some BAD THINGS happen and their friends tell them it’s a PUNISHMENT FROM GOD and boy oh boy. Hey. Why do good bears have bad days? Well, maybe “The Berenstain Bears Why Do Good Bears Have Bad Days?” will help us answer that question!
When the cubs are assigned the chore of cleaning out their old playhouse, will the presence of creepy crawly spiders keep them from getting the job done? HINT: the book is called “The Berenstain Bears Get The Job Done.”
This week on Deep In Bear Country , we’re exploring rudeness. What is rude? What isn’t rude? Is there a definition for rude? And, most importantly, why is SISTER so rude?! It’s “The Berenstain Bears That’s So Rude!” How WUDE!
This week, we’re taking a look at yet another book that’s just a plot-free collection of poetry and prayer… try. And guess what? I like it! It’s “The Berenstain Bears My Bedtime Book of Poems and Prayers” and it’s pretty darn good!
Hey! Do you wanna go back in time? DO YOU WANNA GO AROUND THE WORLD?! Well, let’s go back in time and around the world and let’s bring a REAL HISTORIAN WITH US! Dan Everton is an anthropologist and historian and a whole bunch of fun and I’m so glad to finally have him on the show for “The Berenstain Bears Long. Long Ago!”
Hey! Do you l❤️ve the library? Well, guess who else l❤️ves the library! My guest, Erin Gambrill, that’s who! Join me and Erin and we talk about “The Berenstain Bears We L❤️ve the Library!” They do! They do l❤️ve it!
Make way for ducklings… I might say if that was the book we were discussing this week. But, it isn’t, so I won’t. Still, make way for them in general. The Bear family sure does and that’s kinda the plot of this week’s book? “The Berenstain Bears and the Ducklings!”
This week, I am joined by the lovely Elana to discuss “The Berenstain Bears’ Country Cookbook.” It’s a little bit country; a little bit cookbook. But, do the recipes… recipe? Find out now!
It’s a retelling! IT’S A RETELLING! This week, we’ve got a RETELLING of a book we covered only a couple years ago. Whoulda thought? It’s “The Berenstain Bears Brother Bear and the Kind Cub” and it’s SIMPLE. You can read it all by yourself!
I was so happy to have a new Gifts of the Spirit book to talk about. Then, I opened it and read it and something felt familiar. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Gifts of the Spirit ❤️ Helping” and… we’ve been here before. Right?
This week, Sister Bear takes canter stage with a rehash of a book we covered back in 2021. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Sister Bear and the Golden Rule!” That’s clunky. But, that’s the title!
Spoiler alert! We don’t. The Berenstain Bears have a long history with the game of base-based balls and we are NOT going to explore it. Instead, we’re going to take a look at some clues as to the history of Bear Country, some clues as to the identity of their most famous baseball player and some clues as to the inner mind of Grizzly Gramps. It’s “The Berenstain Bears We ❤️ Baseball!”
I can’t believe I’ve been doing this show for over 8 and a half years and I’ve only now had my parents on as guests. That’s right! For the first time ever, Gale and Ruben Gonzales are on the show to talk about “The Berenstain Bears We Love Our Mom!” and “We Love Our Dad!”
Happy Borthday Bear Country! It’s the celebration of the Fourth of July; the day the bears signed a thing to declare independence from… a king? It’s all a little vague, but remember THIS AIN’T AMERICA! Also, God. It’s “The Berenstain Bears God Bless Our Country!”
The Gifts of the Spirit are back! And they’re the Gifts of the Spirit that keep on Gift of the Spiriting. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Gifts of the Spirit ❤️ Goodness!”
And so we come to the end of the Worthy Kids/Hachette board book series with “The Berenstain Bears’ Book of Prayers.” But, this isn’t just a fond farewell to this series, oh no! I’ve got THE SCOOP on how it came to be and why it ended as well as some other JUICY TIDBITS from Mike Himself. So, strap in buckos!
It’s a Berenstain Bears book where the Bear Family goes on a walk and looks at animals. I mean… that’s pretty much it? “The Berenstain Bears All God’s Creatures!”
Sleep, man. Ya dig? It’s pretty heavy stuff. Like, what even is sleep, my dude? You ever think that, like, sleep is, like, dying every night? Pretty intense, right? It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Sleepy Time Book.”
When is an apology not an apology? What does “sorry” even mean? Does it count if your parents *make* you say it? It’s “The Berenstain Bears Say ‘I’m Sorry!'”
I know we’ve covered this before. I know we have! But, this is different? I think. In any case, get ready to learn too much about PLEASE and THANK YOU! It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Please & Thank You Book!”
This week, Willow joins me to talk about GRADUATION! Whose? Hers! And, the bears. But, they’re not REALLY graduating, are they? It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Graduation Day!”
It’s the first “The Berenstain Bears Gifts of the Spirit” book and we’re kicking it off with “Caring!” What is caring? Is it an attitude? And opinion? An action? What does it mean to care? Who are Fred’s parents? How many men has Aunt Min married? And what of THE TIMELINES? Let’s dive in, shall we?!
I’ll show you love, I’ll show you everything With mouth wide open With mouth wide open I’ll show you everything, oh yeah With mouth wide open Wide open
I think we put too much pressure on kids to figure out what they want to be when they grow up. What about when they grow *down*? Why does no one ever talk about THAT? It’s “The Berenstain Bears When I Grow Up!”
Decades ago, the Berenstain Bears’ Saturday Morning Cartoon secretly presented a multi-part saga that only reveals itself when you’re bored and watching a Berenstain Bears Saturday Morning Cartoon. It’s the “Wild Wild Honey Saga!”
Another JUMBO BONUS! In 2020, Megan Sunday joined me to discuss “The Berenstain Bears and the Wrong Crowd.” Well, I’ve added twenty minutes to the end of BONUS content about the religious rewrite. Enjoy!
You might think you’ve heard this story before, but… well, you have. But you’ve never seen it like this! 2022 brings us a whole new edition of “The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw” featuring previously unpublished art by Stan and Jan Berenstain. It’s pretty cool.
You know what stinks? THINGS! This week, Brian Skinner from Center of Weirdness is back to talk about how terrible it is to buy toys for your kids? Or King Solomon? Or something? It’s The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with THINGS! Just… just things.
The Bear Family is typically fairly healthy, and who do they thank for that? GOD. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Thank God for Good Health!” It’s a rewrite if that means anything to ya. No?
This week, Jen Armstrong, CEO of gaming company SolidRoots, joins me to talk about her company and how they came to design three new Berenstain Bears games for kids!
Hoppy Easter, everyone! I wasn’t going to do an Easter episode this weekend, but things don’t always turn out the way we plan, do they? So, I’m releasing it EARLY to keep my word! Happily, Reverend Lauren is back to take us to Church and talk about Noah? It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Easter Sunday!”
This week, Bradley Mariska and Jeremy Gloff take over my show again! Yep! I’m nowhere in sight, giving these two crumb bums free reign to talk about whatever they want! Is it Berenstain Bears-related? Yes, of course. They’re the BBBoys!
I’m Phil Gonzales and THIS… is POLITICS! Actually, it’s a rewrite, redo, gender-swap of “The Big Election” but it’s called “The Berenstain Bears and Mama For Mayor!”
Organizacion Latina de Trans en Texas Transgender Education Network of Texas allgo qpoc (allgo envisions a just and equitable society that celebrates and nurtures vibrant queer people of color communities.) The Mahogany Project, Inc. (We aim to reduce social isolation, stigma, and acts of injustice in TQLGB+ Communities of Color) Embrace Austin (Embrace Austin is a coalition of LGBTQIA2+ individuals, organizations, and businesses in Austin. We aim to build bridges between queer people and queer initiatives, boost Austin’s queer economy, and set a new standard for cultural competency in LGBTQIA2+ Austin*) Out Youth (Out Youth serves Central Texas LGBTQIA+ (lesbian/gay/bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning, intersex, and asexual) youth and their allies with programs and services to ensure these promising young people develop into happy, healthy, successful adults)
Zebra Coalition (Zebra Coalition is a network of organizations, which provide services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and all youth (LGBTQ+) ages 13 – 24. The Coalition assists young people facing homelessness, bullying, isolation from their families, and physical, sexual and drug abuse with individualized programs to guide them to recovery and stability.) The Trevor Project (The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people.) ALSO Youth (ALSO Youth is a Non-Profit Charity that provides peer support services, educational programs, advocacy, and referrals for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning youth ages 13 to 24, their families and friends, and the community, thereby enhancing self-esteem, promoting healthy dialogue, and increasing awareness of sexual minority youth issues.)
“Show some respect for Judge Reinhold! I mean… your parents.” It’s “The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect” and a SECRET BONUS! Tee hee. I respect you all!
We’re unhinged this week as Brian Skinner from Center of Weirdness and Christy Admiraal from our very own Pizza Toast join me yet again to discuss Valentine’s Day! It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Valentine Love Bug” but it’s really just madness. It’s madness.
Brad and Jeremy are back to talk about “The Berenstain Bears and the Secret Clubhouse!” That’s right, they found a book that seemed, for a hot minute, to have been the source of last week’s mystery. However, an email from Mike Berenstain completely reframed everything for us. We’ll be talking about the origins of “The Trouble With Friends” this week!
This week, I take a look at a book that might be older than I think it is. It’s “The Berenstain Bears The Trouble With Secrets” and is it based on an older book?! Please HELP ME.
The Berenstain Bears are READY TO GO CAROLING! And John McCoy is here from Sophomore Lit to go caroling with me! We kinda talk about the book but mostly talk about the carols and then things get a bit off track. What are your thoughts on Lulu? It’s “The Berenstain Bears Go Christmas Caroling!”
MERRY HAPPY! It’s our truncated Christmas Season and we’re celebrating by digging our nativity scenes out and talking about nativity scenes! Let’s talk The Nativity, Where’s Spot and the very nature of Lift-The-Flap Books as a concept! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Get Ready For Christmas!”
This week, Deep In Bear Country goes deeper than usual into the wild world of Berenstain Bears ephemera with our guest, Mark O’Brien of the YouTube channel “Uncommon Ephemera!” He’s unearthed a Filmstrip interview/documentary about Stan and Jan Berenstain that is one of the most delightful things I’ve ever seen. I also have on, as a bonus, my collectors Brad Mariska and Jeremy Gloff to talk about the Filmstrip and just shoot the breeze. It’s fun!
Hey, it’s time to talk about forgiving! And forgiveness! And stealing a bike and crashing it in to a mailbox! It’s “The Berenstain Bears The Forgiving Tree!”
It’s summer and the week of the Fourth of July and I have no time to record a new episode. So, here’s a classic from the archives. Obviously, anything about upcoming anything is now hopelessly out of date. ENJOY!
Shannon Campe of Stage of Fools: the Unofficial Royals Podcast joins me once again and this time we’re talking sexism! Things get downright creepy in Bear Country as the town erupts over the thought of a girl getting girl germs all over their precious football. Farmer Ben turns out to be a nightmare, Coach Grizzmeyer should be fired and Papa Bear . . . what a disappointment he turns out to be.
This week, Caroline Fulford of the Loose Canon Podcast and Shannon Campe of Stage of Fools: the Unofficial Royals Podcast join forces to talk with me about “The Slumber Party!” Is it the greatest party in the history of Bear Country? How old are Queenie and Too-Tall, anyway? And, what’s the point of this book at all? Also, telephones: nature’s menace?
