The Berenstain Bears and Mama's New Job

The Berenstain Bears

by Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain

When Mama Bear decides to turn her hobby into a business, each member of the Bear family tries to help a little more around the house.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Animals, Juvenile, Family, Young Adult

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Stan and Jan Berenstain (often called The Berenstains) were American writers and illustrators best known for creating the children's book series the Berenstain Bears. Their son Mike Berenstain joined them as a creative team in the late 1980s.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember it was a big deal in the 80s when mother's were going back to work. There was a lot of talk about it. This story was a little ahead of that curve.

Mama Bear opens a quilt shop and she is going back to work. Her cubs have to do more on their own and papa begins to help around the house too. It's a straight forward story. Mama is very good at quilting. He needs a new dress though, to go with her new shop. She needs an upgrade.

This is the best of the Berenstain Bears. These are the sweet years. 78-86, maybe 88. The artwork is so cozy.

[sahra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written in 1984. Enough said.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to feel about this book. It was written in the 80s, so I guess it was progressive for its time? It's nice that the authors show that Moms can have careers, and that they need to take time to do things for themselves. But a lot in the beginning/middle of the book bothered me. I hated that the father bear shrugged off the original suggestion of Mama going into business without even asking her what she wanted or thought. "One businessbear in the family is enough," and of course that bear would be the man, in his view. I was really expecting the story to end with her deciding that she had fun with her little project, but it was time to go back to being a good mom and wife. I'm glad that it did not end that way, but does the shop or her working appear in any of the other stories? If not, it could definitely leave the impression that a woman working is just a short-term amusement.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mama Bear gets a job!

I like that Mama Bear is shown to have skills that are of value. I like that she is shown doing what's right for her here, and how her going to work also benefits the family. But I don't like Papa Bear's initial attitude. And honestly, I'm not even sure that Mama Bear stays a working bear after this book - does anyone see her with the shop in any of the other books? I've been looking for it, but just don't see it...

Either way, I would say the good outweighs the bad. This is something that kids need to understand, and while this thought might have been kind of new - the mom going back to work - back when this book was written, it's still valid storyline in that many mom's take time off of work still to have children, and go back when those kids are older.

Overall? Not a bad book, but could have been better.

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this from the library to read to my children at bedtime (because they really like Berenstain Bears right now and we've read my entire collection). This book is about Mama Bear deciding to open her own quilt shop which causes changes in the family because she's no longer a stay at home mom.

It's not a horrible book for showing how things change when both parents work. My criticism is that Mama Bear just decided to go to work on her own and didn't discuss it with Papa Bear at all. It is huge change and this is something that should be showed as a long thought out process, not a spur of the moment, lone decision.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though Mama Bear loves being a mama, she doesn't often have time to do something just for herself. Her nightly quilting time is her only hobby she can seem to squeeze in. One sunny day she puts her quilts out to air and they drew attention from many bears who wanted to purchase them; thus launching Mama's new career. What I loved most about this book was the way the family came together to support her, even though it meant pitching in with tasks a bit more themselves.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Shannon 1988." Papa Bear feels trolled because Mama Bear got an awesome job at the Country Quilt store. Step it up, Papa.

[Liesl · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's curious how Mama's venture into the business world is never mentioned again.

[Shacoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the 6th Berenstain Bears book that I have read. I love the tag-lines at the beginning of these books (This book's tag-line is 'When Mama gets home too late for a meal, how will the cubs and Papa bear feel?'). I think this book is a flashback to a simpler sort of life where the father worked and the mother stayed home and raised the children. I love the way that these books display traditional family values. I also like the way this book in particular takes the time to show that it is possible for a woman to work and still be a very good wife and mother.

[PenNPaper52 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read the Berenstain Bears in a book. I used to watch the cartoon version when I was small. It was fun going back to my childhood. It was nyc to read how all the Berenstains joined together to help and encourage Mama in her business venture. Wish there were more families in real life that offered such support in real life.

[Hillary Troutman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the Berenstain Bear book series. A lot of my students like the beginning excerpt which tells the moral or lesson of the story in a cute rhyme. It gives them a heads up as what they should be watching out for in the book and it helps them understand the lesson learned at the end. These books are great for elementary children.

[angrykitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

my mom always worked, so i didn't get what the big deal was in this one. i mean....so mama gets a job...boo hoo......she was doing something that made her happy.....

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved this one though it didn't pan out in my family's case. We didn't get to go out to dinner when my mom went back to work. Darn!

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book the Bear Family learns to cope with two working parents. Another great read for little kids.

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite Berenstain Bear book!

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute story in the Berenstain Bear collection. Mama's making her prize quilts in this one.

[Vesra (When She Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dewey's 24hr readathon book. will review later

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always had warm and fuzzy feelings about quilting, though I have never done it. Maybe when I get old.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love all berenstain bear books!

[Kathy Ellen Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!
I adored it as a kid and like it even more as an adult.
Mama Bear gets a job,
and the family has to adjust.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love looking at the quilts in this book--if I had any skills whatsoever, I'd love to make one of Mama Bear's quilts for myself!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading the Berenstain Bears books to my children. Each and every one of them sends a positive message.

[Heather Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

megan spring reading 2015, megan summer reading 2016, children's book, picture book, series, berenstain bears, working mothers, family togetherness, pitching in, first grade, second grade

[Ietrio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really surprised by the angle of this story. Well done!

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three cheers for a Berenstain book that was written by Stan and Jan Berenstain, rather than their son. (Writing may not really be his thing. Not yet, at least, based on four books of his that I've reviewed today.)

Problem solving-wise, what's going on this time? Mama doesn't exactly aim to open her own quilt shop, but she winds up doing this anyway.

How Did This Happen?

In an extraordinarily fortuitous marketing coincidence, Papa decided to hold a big furniture sale. Meanwhile, Mama happened to be hanging some of the family quilts on a clothesline, airing them out.

Surprise! She got a ton of offers from folks who wanted to purchase her quilts.

SOON AFTERWARD, MAMA DECIDED TO GO INTO BUSINESS

Papa, Brother, and Sister had to adjust to a new routine. Which they could. And they did!

Another happy ending for a book about this loveable family. This time, it was a story about a stay-at-home bear who became a "working mother."

FIVE STARS

[J.B. Mathias · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art is excellent and while i like the message of entrepreneurial spirit the rest of the message doesn't make much sense. It's the typical feminist message of a bored overworked housewife...whose solution to not having time to do things she enjoys...is to open a business...sure that will free up some me time. The idea is supposed to be well...the rest of the family can help out and do some of the things mama normally does...but it's still a net increase in labour. Now rather than division of labour that affords both papa and mama down time to fish and quilt...now both have to work a job and take care of a family. If she barely has time for family and running the store...where will she find time to make the quilts...operating a retail storefront and producing the inventory for the store yourself is like two full time jobs. It is the myth of "having it all" and it just doesn't make sense even in this context of a very simple childrens book.

[Jinan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I re-read this book out of nostalgia and unsurprisingly it hasn't aged perfectly. What was once a very progressive book feels a bit dated and jarring in today's world. When I was younger I loved the Berenstain Bears books and this one was one of my favourites. However in 2020 this book feels a bit condescending to Mama Bear and often reinforces stereotypes before "shattering" them. I honestly feel like children today would be perplexed by the concept of the book given the prevalence of working mothers. It hasn't ruined the book for me- it's probably comforting that the message of the book is slightly outdated for today. Great for nostalgia but very little application in today's world (fortunately).

[Madison Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Berenstain Bears and Mama’s New Job was written and illustrated by Stan and Jan Berenstain. This a great book for children to read because it in the beginning of the story Mama is proud of Papa, Brother, and Sister bear in the end Papa, Brother, and Sister bear are all very proud of Mama bear. This story is fiction. Overall, this story teaches families to be proud and help out other members of the family.

[Sayo -bibliotequeish-]

The Berenstain Bears books were a staple in my house.
Mama Bear gets a job, which as a little girl growing up in the 80's was crazy to me.
But I remember as a little girl others kids talking about their moms going to work, and then after school programs became a big thing, this was timely in the 80's at least in my area as a lot of moms were still stay at home moms.

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kid, I always glanced at this cover and for some reason thought Mama was on TV as a meteorologist. So observant! But no, she opens her own quilt shop that we never hear about again, do we? Still, it's nice that the series shows it's great if ladies are "business bears" too and that the family is proud of their matriarch, who is not being a huge stick in the mud like usual in this one.