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!”
Tag: Farmer Ben
Episode 443 – The Berenstain Bears Patience, Please
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!
Episode 426 – The Berenstain Bears and the Ducklings
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!”
Episode 419 – The Berenstain Bears’ BIG Machines
You want big machines? We got big machines! Well, the Bears got big machines. It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ BIG MACHINES!” They’re big! Really!
Episode 416 – The Berenstain Bears Welcome To Bear Country!
This week, we’re heading off to… Bear Country? Yeah, Cousin Tex is here so we’re giving him a… sorry, Mayor Honeypot(?) is giving his a tour of Bear Country! And, he hates it! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Welcome To Bear Country!” Whew!
Episode 396 – The Berenstain Bears’ Harvest Festival
It’s not a Thanksgiving book! It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Harvest Festival!”
Episode 379 – The Berenstain Bears Gifts of the Spirit ❤️ Love
This week, it’s all about LOVE, baby! Good ol’ First Epistle of John LOVE, BABEEEE! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Gifts of the Spirit ❤️ Love!”
Episode 365 – The Berenstain Bears’ Lemonade Stand
My co-host from It’s Del Toro Time, my own Willow, is back to talk about the hottest bears in Bear Town. It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Lemonade Stand!”
Episode 317 – The Berenstain Bears and the Shaggy Little Pony”
It’s shaggy. It’s little. It’s a pony. It’s “The Berenstain Bears and the Shaggy Little Pony.” Not much else to say!
Episode 310 – The Berenstain Bears ALL ABOARD!
Chugga chugga CHOO CHOO! This week, we’re talkin’ about TRAINS! It’s “The Berenstain Bears ALL ABOARD!”
Episode 308 – The Berenstain Bears Safe and Sound!
Is it safe? Is it sound? Is it The Berenstain Bears Safe and Sound!? It is this week! Let’s take a look at the freewheeling world of skate-a-ma-boarding in Bear Country! Let’s build a deck or a half-pipe or an olly? Let’s get SAFE and SOUND!
Episode 293 – The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Influence!
This week, I welcome back to the show producer, writer, actor and Sister Bear apologist Shannon Campe to talk about “The Berenstain Bears and the Bad Influence!” Who is this new cub? Why does Farmer Ben get so angry about six apples? Don’t these bears know that tulips will grow back? And, most importantly, why did no one tell us there were TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE BOOK?!
Listen to Shannon’s “Little Women A Modern Audio Drama” here.
Episode 276 – The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas/Old-Fashioned Christmas!
Merrrrrry happy! It’s Christmas Day and I am coming at you with two two two books! First, I’m finishing off my looks at “The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas” and then we’re talking “The Berenstain Bears’ Old-Fashioned Christmas!” Two good books! It’s a Christmas miracle! See you next year!
Episode 263 – The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the Ripoff Queen!
This week, we are back with the Bear Scouts; we are back with Raffish Ralph Ripoff; and we are back with a story that doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense. It’s “The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the Ripoff Queen!” There’s no queens. There’s actually no ripoffs. There is a lot of crime, but it’s mostly committed by our heroes? This is a weird one. And to help me through it, we have a returning guest! Jamie Tyler, cutural critic for Cinapse! Welcome back Jamie!
Episode 251 – The Berenstain Bears The Runamuck Dog Show!
Hot Diggity Dog! Look who’s back! It’s the hosts of Hot Diggity Dog, Brian and Josh, and they’re here talk about “The Runamuck Dog Show!” It’s a book about dogs and cats and poop and… poop, actually. There’s a lot of poop. Don’t know what else to tell you.
Episode 229 – The Berenstain Bears Down On the Farm/The Berenstain Bears Reap the Harvest
Let’s go back to the farm, this week, with a couple of rewrites of a couple of the books we *just* looked at! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Down On The Farm” and the religious “The Berenstain Bears Reap The Harvest!”
Episode 228 – The Berenstain Bears With Nothing to Do/The Berenstain Bears Visit Farmer Ben
In this episode, I’m sick! And talking about Cub Club Books! This week, I’m taking a cold hard look at two books that may, in fact, form the beginnings of a trilogy that we discussed the ending of last week! That’s right, “Nothing to Do” and “Visit Farmer Ben” would seem to set up the events in “The Summer Job” by establishing that the Cubs are bored and… and… sorry I fell asleep typing this. Anyway, books.
Episode 227 – The Berenstain Bears and the Summer Job!
In a time when it is neither summer nor job I take a look at the story of the Cubs getting railroaded into working for a farmer, maybe for free(?!?). It’s “The Berenstain Bears and the Summer Job!”
Episode 225 – The Berenstain Bears In the Wax Museum!
When is a mystery *not* a mystery? When nothing mysterious happens! “The Berenstain Bears IN the Wax Museum” acts like a mystery, but it’s really a community drama about zoning ordinances. It makes a lot of promises it can’t keep and sets up plot points that melt like the wax in Madame Bearsaud’s statues, but I don’t care because KACIE GALYON is back to help me get through it! Welcome back to the show, Kacie!
Episode 223 – The Berenstain Bears Go Hollywood!
I’ve been alone so long! This week, I bring back two things that this show desperately needed: the Big Chapter Books and A GUEST! Yes, I am joined by author and screenwriter Mark Wheaton, the author of “Emily Eternal” and the Luis Chavez Mysteries. He’s here to help me pick apart a book about… filmmaking? The Hollywood machine? Cecil B. DeMille? It’s a mess; but a FUN mess!
Episode 215 – The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the Stinky Milk Mystery
Join me for another INCREDIBLE MYSTERY that doesn’t introduce itself until the book is nearly finished and that is then solved by a non-character in one page. That’s right! It’s a Berenstain Bear Scouts Merit Badge Mystery! But, like past Merit Badge Mysteries, it’s not much of a mystery. But, it’s still weird and fun. Join me for “The Stinky Milk Mystery” and discover my the milk may, in fact, be stinky.
Episode 212 – The Berenstain Bears and the Escape of the Bogg Brothers (2000)/The Missing Watermelon Money (2001)
This week, we’re gearing up for HALLOWEEN SEASON with our first MYSTERIES! That’s right! The Bear Detectives are here to liven up your week with the “Escape of the Bogg Brothers” and the “Missing Watermelon Money!”
Episode 181 – The Berenstain Bears and Baby Makes Five!
This week, I’m joined by Annette Gagliardi. Annette is an educator, poet and author who lives in the Twin Cities and was my teacher for several years in Early Childhood Family Education. I figured, heck, she knows her business when it comes to kids, so who better to walk us through “The Berenstain Bears and Baby Makes Five?” The book where we finally meet Honey. And then immediately forget about Honey.
Episode 179 – The Berenstain Bears and the Big Question!
Here on “Deep In Bear Country” we know that I do like to blather on about topics I have no training in, especially religion! But, I’m breaking with tradition this week by inviting onto the show the Reverend Lauren McLeavey!
Lauren and I talk about “The Berenstain Bears and the Big Question” and . . . what is this question. Well, it’s about God. Capital G God. Sister gets all “asky” about the guy and Mama sets her straight by dragging the family to church. Along the way we talk about church architecture, Quakers and seminary. It’s a roller coaster of a talk! Check it out!
Episode 172 – The Berenstain Bears’ Thanksgiving All Around!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Episode 160 – GROW-IT! Mother Nature Has Such A Green Thumb!
Psst! Hey everyone! You, uh . . . you wanna learn about vermiculite? Shh! Don’t let everyone hear, or they’ll all want in on this. Well, I got a book for you that not only mentions vermiculite about a dozen times, but doesn’t really explain what it is! Sound good? Hello? Oh, you left.
THIS WEEK, I have on my show two very good friends, Aaron and Melanie, who know a LOT about vermiculite as well as farming and growing plants and being generally incredible friends. They’re here to fill me in on the fine art of GROWING FOOD and PLANTS and OTHER THINGS related to the book “The Berenstain Bears GROW-IT! Mother Nature Has Such A Green Thumb!”
Episode 154 – The Missing Merit Badges & The Search for Naughty Ned
Ollie is back, my partner in crime from It’s Del Toro Time! and we’re talking about . . . something. What even are these? It’s the first two Merit Badge Mysteries “The Missing Merit Badges” and “The Search for Naughty Ned” and, well, animals talk? Dr. Mr. Wide Old Owl? Naughty Ned? It’s clear we’re in a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONTINUITY AGAIN. Oh well.
Episode 153 – The Evil Eye!
When is a book NOT a book? When it’s a sequel to a book YOU’VE NEVER READ! Yes, this week I discover the peril of not knowing which book comes after which as I delve into the second part of an apparent two-parter that isn’t actually that difficult to understand; it’s a book for children. It’s “The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the Evil Eye!”
Joining me to talk about this confounding book is the completely confounded founder of the celebrated Twitter account Best of NextDoor, Jenn Takahashi! Jenn is confused by everything going on, but that’s fine because she has been mentioned in an article in The Atlantic and have the Berenstains? Well, yes actually. They have on a number of occasions. Still, Jenn has been mentioned MOST RECENTLY!
Episode 151 – “Too Much Teasing” and “The Love Match!”
Boy oh boy! Milton Chubb! Who is Milton Chubb, you ask? Only the strangest cub introduced in these here books. He’s introduced TWICE actually, in “Too Much Teasing” and in “The Love Match.” Two different formats that tell essentially the same story but in wildly different ways and for wildly different reasons.
To commemorate this event, I’ve brought John McCoy – host of the Sophomore Lit podcast and my co-host on Klickitcast: A Beverly Cleary Podcast – onto the show to try and suss out the point of these two books. Does the first one teach us anything about teasing? Why are Too-Tall and his gang so bad at it? Does Milton have parents, really? Do pigs have armpits? Who knows?! Not us!
Episode 145 – The Sinister Smoke Ring!
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This week, I am joined by Justin Harrison of Birth. Movies. Death. to talk about the incredibly long and detailed “The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the Sinister Smoke Ring!” This is a huge one, folks, and we talk about the influences of the story, how it came to be written, the interwoven plot threads, the mean attitudes of the denizens of Bear Country and many many other things in between. It’s DENSE and LONG and amazing.
Episode 143 – The Magic Crystal Caper
This week, we get mired in ATOMIC MAGIC. Seriously. There is ACTUAL MAGIC in this episode. Or, is it science? Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that I have Megan Sunday from In The Attic here to help me through it. And, man, once Grizzly Gramps starts yelling, things get a bit unhinged.
Episode 141 – The Berenstain Bear Scouts Giant Bat Cave!
Elana and Mitzi are back! Or, are here because they’ve never been on together!And we’re talking “Giant Bat Cave!” It’s a Berenstain Bear Scouts book and may, in fact be the *first Berenstain Bear Scouts book but, then again, maybe it’s not? Also, Elana gets really excited to talk about local politics and then has to settle for talking about bats.
Episode 140 – The Berenstain Bears and Queenie’s Crazy Crush!
Helen LaStar, one of the hosts of Falling In Love Montage, joins me this week to peel back the layers of “The Berenstain Bears and Queenie’s Crazy Crush!” What happens when a young girl cub falls in love with a grown man and plots to trick him into coming over to her house when her parents are – you know what? I’m going to just leave that right where I found it. Just . . . just walk away from that one.
Episode 139 – The Berenstain Bears and the Haunted Hayride!
Gena Radcliffe – one half of the Kill By Kill Podcast duo – joins me to talk about the decidedly NON-SCARY “The Berenstain Bears and the Haunted Hayride!” There’s no haunting but there IS a hayride although it is very short and they don’t go into a lot of details about it. Still . . . there it is.
Also, you can find Gena’s writing on a ton of different subjects here and I strongly suggest that you do!
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Episode 136 – The Terrible Talking Termite!
Let’s close out this chunk of Bear Scouts books with “The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the Terrible Talking Termite.” This one was based on an episode of the cartoon and it shows and shows and shows. It makes little sense and to help me figure it out, I have Christy Admiraal, from Nerdist and VICE and the California Diarists podcast here to pick over this . . . plot? Ralph is in it, so that’s cool. Also, the termite? Not so terrible. Plus, do the authors understand what “insurance fraud” really is?
Episode 134 – Save That Backscratcher!
Oh boy! Erin Gambrill from Ladies Who Library is here to talk about a book that COMPLETELY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD! Like, seriously. There is so much going on in this one I needed to bring in a friend just to help me get through it.
Episode 122 – The Berenstain Bear Scots and the Humongous Pumpkin!
Just when you thought they couldn’t create YET ANOTHER series for us to follow, we begin the next adventure in chaptered bookery “The Berenstain Bear Scouts!” And, man, are they plumbing the depths of the Saturday Morning TV series for this one. And, you know, that ain’t all bad.
I’m kicking things off with “The Berenstain Bear SCOUTS and the Humongous Pumpkin.” It’s got thrills, chills and PLOTS GALORE! Keep up, friends; things don’t get any easier to follow after this one.
Episode 119 – Media Madness!
Jon Biegen and Nick Wood slide on over from Stranger Still to talk about children successfully managing a television station. That’s . . . that’s really all that happens in this book, so – so, lesson learned, I guess.
Episode 117 – The Freaky Funhouse!
Brian and Josh – from Predict-O-Cast and . . . another show – actually come INSIDE MY HOUSE and INVADE MY SPACE to talk about “The Berenstain Bears and the Freaky Funhouse!”
Join us as we talk about MURDER! ATTEMPTED MURDER! And . . . Frankenbear’s Monster? Also, the funhouse doesn’t figure into the plot as much as we’d have liked. What’s that chainsaw noise? Just us.
Episode 113 – The Berenstain Bears and the Giddy Grandma!
Welcome to the world of degraded audio! Please bear with this terrible sounding episode, as I flop around trying to talk about “The Giddy Grandma.” Things didn’t work out according to plan, but I think I get my point across.
Also, I have a Patreon page!
Episode 103 – The Berenstain Bears and the Female Fullback!
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.
Episode 99 – The New Girl In Town!
This week, I am joined by Jessie Cooper of Alphabet Flight, Turn to Page and Random Sampling as we discuss our first BIG CHAPTER BOOK “The New Girl In Town!” Listeners, this book has got everything. History, romance, racism, war, moaning. Everything.
Episode 96 – The Berenstain Bears “The Good Deed”/”Hurry to Help!”
Oh, come on! This is the *bare minimum* you can rewrite a book and still call it a rewrite!
I apologize for getting so angry just now.
Episode 78 – The Berenstain Bears’ Slumber Party!
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?
Also, memes: we have them.
You can find our official Facebook page on Facebook. Or, you can yell at me on Twitter. And, please please please subscribe to the show on iTunes. Also, we’re on Google Podcasts!
Episode 68 – The Berenstain Bears and the Double Dare!
Mark had to come back to the studio so we could finish up our discussion on John Braden and I managed to keep him around to talk about “The Double Dare!”
See Mark in “Sweet Dreams, Alfie” at the Twin Cities Horror Festival this October!