Episode 425 – The Berenstain Bears Gifts of the Spirit ❤️ Politeness

Man oh man, is there anything worse than being forced to sit through a terrible music recital? How about having to be POLITE afterwards? It’s “The Berenstain Bears Gifts of the Spirit ❤️ Politeness!”

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 415 – The Berenstain Bears Play Football!

This week, the Berenstain Bears play football in “The Berenstain Bears Play Football.” No kidding!

Episode 412 – The Berenstain Bears Bless Our Gramps and Gran

You ever hear of this Grandparents’ Day? And how does Nixon fit into all of this? It’s “The Berenstain Bears Bless Our Gramps and Gran!”

Episode 385 – The Berenstain Bears’ Graduation Day

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!”

Episode 349 – The Berenstain Bears We ❤️ Trucks!

You say you love trucks, but DO YOU? The Berenstain Bears do. You know they do because they use the actual heart in their title! It’s “The Berenstain Bears We ❤️ Trucks!”

Episode 330 – The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect and…?

“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!

Episode 292 – The Berenstain Bears’ Class Trip!

Life isn’t all bees and poop, but if you listen to this week’s episode, you might think it is! It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Class Trip!”

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 272 – The Berenstain Bears’ Thanksgiving Blessings!

Amazon.com: The Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings: Stickers Included!  (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights: A Faith Story) (0025986734879): Berenstain,  Mike: Books

The Reverend Lauren McLeavey is back! This week, we’re taking a look at “The Berenstain Bears’ Thanksgiving Blessings” and hoping that it avoids the pitfalls of last week’s – oh, nope… nope. No, it’s just as bad. At least stickers are included?

Episode 271 – The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks!

The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights): Jan  Berenstain, Mike Berenstain: 0025986712518: Amazon.com: Books

Ooh, dang. Sometimes you get to a book that really, uh, well, that’s really something. And then you gotta have a guest on to help you with it. The Reverend Lauren McLeavey is back to help me panic my way through an ostensibly religious book about Pilgrims and Mayflowers and turkeys named… turkeys that have a certain name. It’s not good, y’all! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks!”

Episode 267 – The Berenstain Bears and the Big Spelling Bee!

The Berenstain Bears and the Big Spelling Bee: Berenstain, Jan, Berenstain,  Stan, Berenstain, Mike, Berenstain, Jan: 9780060573867: Amazon.com: Books

This week, I’m all by myself and thinkin’ of BEES! Spelling bees, that is! It’s “The Berenstain Bears and the Big Spelling Bee!”

Episode 265 – The Berenstain Bear Scouts Scream Their Heads Off!

Los osos scouts Berenstain gritan de terror / The Berenstain Bear Scouts  Scream Their Heads Off (Spanish Edition): Berenstain, Stan, Berenstain,  Mike: 9780590944861: Amazon.com: Books

Let’s welcome back to the show the hosts of Kill By Kill, Gena and Patrick as we go exploring a spooky old house atop Spook Hill and maybe, just maybe, learn a little something new about Beartown.

Episode 263 – The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the Ripoff Queen!

Berenstain Bear Scouts And The Ripoff Queen by Stan Berenstain

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 225 – The Berenstain Bears In the Wax Museum!

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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 221 – The Berenstain Bears and the Family Get Together/The Berenstain Bears Reunion! (1993/2009)

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When is a get-together not a get-together? When it’s a reunion! Whether the Bear Family is getting together or reuniting, we’re meeting some new relatives in “The Berenstain Bears’ Family Get Together” and “The Berenstain Bears’ Family Reunion!”

Episode 212 – The Berenstain Bears and the Escape of the Bogg Brothers (2000)/The Missing Watermelon Money (2001)

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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 179 – The Berenstain Bears and the Big Question!

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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 176 – The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving!

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And with this, the fourth episode in our Holiday Extravaganza, we *end* our Holiday Extravaganza. And what an ending to go out on “The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving.” This book has it all: pageants, Jesus, presents, malls, Santa, Bearbie. It has everything you could possibly hope for in a Berenstain Bears Christmas book.

And I have everything I could possibly hope for in listeners like you. Merry Holiday everyone!

Episode 173 – The Berenstain Bears and the Nutcracker!

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It’s the Season of Giving, the Season of Cheer, the Season of Something, Christmas is Here! And with the Christmas comes the Christmas episodes!

This week, I’m taking a hard look at a hard nut. Or, a hard nutCRACKER! It’s “The Berenstain Bears and the Nutcracker” and I get to the book at about the 25 minute mark. In the meantime, I give a bit of backstory of the tale of the nutcracker itself. Join me join me!

Episode 170 – The Homework Hassle!

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We’re back with an ACTUAL BOOK! It’s exciting! You know what else is exciting? Homework. Wrong! It’s Brian Skinner! Brian Skinner is exciting and he’s back on the show to talk about taxes, homework, radio shows, peanut butter and not doing your assignments! It’s a meandering conversation that sometimes comes back around to “The Berenstain Bears and the Homework Hassle!”

Check out Brian and his lovely co-host Josh on their Show Predict-O-Cast!

Episode 157 – The Green-Eyed Monster!

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This week! My dear college friend, writer, director, performer, monologist, cartoonist Brad McEntire joins me to talk about “The Berenstain Bears and the Green-Eyed Monster!” And, boy do we ever talk about it! And, a lot of other things!

Check out Brad’s many projects at his website! He always has a dozen things going on.

Episode 153 – The Evil Eye!

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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 147 – Go Platinum!

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This week, I’m joined by the delightful Drew Stewart to rock out to “The Berenstain Bears Go Platinum!” It’s the gripping tale of Stan and Jan Berenstain really wanting to stick it to the music of today!

Episode 146 – The Big Date

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This week, I’m joined by Emily Bennett of Best Acquaintances to talk about the insidious nature of young jealousy! Like, seriously, it’s a pretty solid book that deals with a pretty serious topic for adolescent kids. I know!

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.

Here is the link to Justin’s page for the BP MS 150.

Episode 143 – The Magic Crystal Caper

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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 142 – The Ice Monster!

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It’s ME! I’m all alone for this episode, so you know what that means: CONSPIRACY THEORIES! OLD RELIGION! FRACTURED REALITIES! ALTERNATE TIMELINES! OLD GODS! ANCIENT FAITHS! DOOMSDAY! THE END OF THE WORLD! RANTING! RAVING!

WELCOME.

Episode 141 – The Berenstain Bear Scouts Giant Bat Cave!

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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 138 – The Berenstain Bears and the Ghost of the Auto Graveyard!

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This week, Meghan Griffin is BACK and this time we’re not talking dress codes or drama, we’re talking . . . classic cars. I mean, I guess Bear Country has cars. And, some of them are really old. So . . . classic cars.

You can find Meghan at any of her three podcasts: Judging Book Covers, Fabelulous Retellings and A Handbook for Handbook for Mortals.

Episode 134 – Save That Backscratcher!

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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 131 – Too Much Pressure!

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My CHILDREN ARE HERE and we’re talking about “The Berenstain Bears and TOO MUCH PRESSURE!” No pressure here, though. We’re cool as cucumbers.

Episode 129 – The Berenstain Bear SCOUTS and the Coughing Catfish!

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Here I go again. It’s yet another retelling of the age old classing “The Coughing Catfish.” Does he cough? Yep. Is he a catfish? Yep. Is there a pirate ship? Oh yes. It’s a short one, folks!

Episode 119 – Media Madness!

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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 113 – The Berenstain Bears and the Giddy Grandma!

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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 107 – The Berenstain Bears and the Drug Free Zone!

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Joel Torres of the Please Don’t Send Me Into Outer Space podcast joins me to talk about DRUGS! And DRUG ZONES! And BACKWOODS DRUG DISTRIBUTION? It’s a wild weird but pretty nicely done book.

Episode 57 – The Berenstain Bears and the Week at Grandma’s!

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What happens when cubs go to Grandma’s and spend the whole trip talking to Grandpa? What if they never actually call them “Grandma” and “Grandpa?” I don’t know! But, I do have Joy Riggs on my show to talk about family! And the importance of getting to know your extended family.

Visit Joy’s blog to learn more about her family and her projects. She’s a fantastic writer and well worth checking out. Also, check out her archive of writings at Minnesota Parent – there’s a lot of great stuff there.

You can find our official Facebook page on Facebook. Or, you can yell at me on Twitter. And, please please please rate and review the show on iTunes. Also, we’re on Google Podcasts!