The Berenstain Bears Go Out To Eat [Paperback]

My family has always loved the Berenstain Bear books-- from my own youth, through my now-6 and 4 year old daughters, to my new baby. These books usually have a great lesson to teach, and a fun story to tell. THIS book only told a story, NO the trademark Berenstain Bears lesson, and not a very good story, at that.

The worst part was how mamma forced the cubs to eat vegetables with their dinners-- the story presented it as though no kid would ever want to eat a vegetable. My kids love vegetables (not that they don't love fries), I don't want them hearing Brother Bear saying "why do vitamins have to taste so bad?" What's the point in trying to make it harder for kids to eat well? I HATE when books or tv shows do this.
Even though my family is pretty traditional, it bothered me that the whole deal was that mamma was tired from doing all the home and child care, so papa decided to treat her to a night out. As the previous reviewer, I just changed a few words for that.

I used to buy Berenstain books on the name alone, I trusted them to be good. Now I'll have to check reviews first when possible. I have liked other of the newer Berenstain books, though. I hid this book under a bed after the first read, we're never reading it again.

Well, I promise to write some positive views of the other Berenstain Bear books, because my daughter insists on reading at least one during breakfast and one at night (and it can't be anything but the Berenstain Bears!). I say this to let you know that I'm a huge fan of their books -- usually a great lesson told in a way that really makes a lasting impression on a child's mind. In fact, we have code words that conjure up particular Berenstain Bear books and their lessons -- "Don't be a Lizzy Bruin (bossy and braggy)" -- "Are you getting the gimmies?" -- "Someone's had too much TV!" etc.

Here's the but. But this book feels different. It feels like this is not a real well-developed story and much of it is spent with the kids ordering hamburgers (how creative in terms of opening up kids' minds to different foods!) and subsequently Mama bribing her kids to eat broccoli as if vegetables have to be balanced with some treat in order to be eaten. In fact, that's exactly the message at the end of the book -- that the best part of eating broccoli is getting to dessert. Oh, come on....I'm not for making every book the literal equivalent of broccoli, but this story is just so unimaginative and unhelpful that you should save your money for some of the Berenstain Bear classics out there.

I agree with the other reviewer who really hates it when authors dredge up the usual "yuck" and "ew" when talking about vegetables (Sandra Boynton comes to mind). I haven't tossed this book out like the other reviewer, but when I read this, I have to cut out significant portions of the story that deride vegetables and glorify other foods -- hamburgers and dessert (not that there's anything wrong with these!) But oh, what a disappointment. Maybe they've raised my expectations too high.

My son loves The Berenstain Bears series, he almost read every single one of them, this book teaches kids great day to day values, every book talks about things happening in our daily life, so the kids can feel the closeness to the book.