In Praise of the Berenstains
By the standards of most children’s books today, the Berenstains' series is an absolutely audacious project.
The Berenstain Bears are always simple and formulaic: the cubs go to the doctor or the dentist, and learn that it’s not that bad; their room is a mess, and they figure out how to keep it cleaner; they visit their grandparents, and find out that old people can be fun. The beginning always offers some charming foreshadowing of the end, the drama (insofar …
