Deep In Bear Country – A Berenstain Bearcast
Let's talk about every single Berenstain Bears book, shall we?
“Bear Country exists in a state of temporal flux” is something I say in this episode about a children’s book about cheating. So, that’s something. It’s the final Merit Badge Mystery, the final Dr. Wise Old Owl, the final not-really-a-mystery mystery; it’s “The Berenstain Bear Scouts and the White Water 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.
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!
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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.
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.
Wendy Mays from “Pet Cinematary” joins me to talk about the illogical happenings that occur when someone puts a remote control into helium-inflated pizza dough? Or, something? It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but Wendy is here to help me try to puzzle at least SOME of it out.
This week, I’m joined by Patrick Hamilton, one half of Kill By Kill, to talk about “The Berenstain Bear Scouts Ghost Vs. Ghost!” What happens in this book? Would you believe crime and deforestation? Probably. Would you believe GHOSTS! Well, calm down. Patrick and I puzzle over the book’s incredibly detailed look at survival skills, card catalogs and hucksterism, and it’s surprisingly short focus on ghosts. Also, a BIG SWITCHEROO! This book has everything! And by that I mean it doesn’t have much.
Brad Mariska sneaks on over to talk about “The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail” from 1987 – a book I ACCIDENTALLY SKIPPED!
Oh, and, it looks like there IS an animated adaptation! Waddaya know?
Those Bear Scouts are at it again! What is “it” exactly? Adapting cartoons into chapter books is what it is! That’s right, it’s the 1980 classic special “The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw” rejiggered into a Bear SCOUTS book. Does it work? Eh.