The Berenstain Bears and the Ghost of the Forest

The Berenstain Bears

by Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain, Sitan Bodan

English-Chinese Bilingual Edition

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Halloween, Fiction, Animals, Ghosts, Classics

15 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 1988

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]

This Berenstain Bears is told in verse and it rhymes the whole way. That is unusual for the bears, but I like it. All the adults are out to scare some kids in this one. Papa Bear thinks he’s going to spook the scouts in the forest and the tables are turned on him. There is actually a nice twist in this one at the end.

I wonder if this is some sort of ritual children need to go through, scaring their kids. Most parents seem to want to avoid scaring children. It’s a cute story and it is a little scary. My niece said it didn’t scare her, but I think it did a little.

Another popular hit in our house. The kids love it and gave it 5 stars. I thought it was a nice change the series did in how it tells stories.

Interesting how well this goes with my other book today about Shadows.

[Sophia Triad]

Bear Scouts take a trip to the forest and for some stupid reason all the adults try to scare them.
My children seem to like it, but I am not that sure.
Why would someone scare little children with imaginary ghosts?

[Elaine]

Read with kindergarten the week of Halloween to coincide with our work on rhyming. It was a nice demonstration of the use of rhyme in stories and gave a nice segue into our rhyme matching activity. The kids really liked the story itself, especially the parts where we made ghost noises. There also are some good visual cues that we used for them to "read" the pictures (such as Mama's dress peeking out from the third spook). It had a nice lesson for them just before Halloween about how even though ghosts aren't real it's still fun to be scared of them.

[Shiloah]

Cute!

[Becks]

Read with my nephew as a bed time story. It was a lot of fun we used a flashlight and made spooky noises. 🥰😆👻

[Bree Hill]

Story about adults trying to spook their kids out of going into the forest, even though they are chaperoned, by sneaking into the forest and actually spooking them!

[Andrea]

I loved the Berenstain bears as a kid and couldn’t wait to read about them again. It looked like such a cute story.

I liked the title page, with the tree stump that held a lantern and read “Off go the Bear Scouts to camp out all night. Will an unwelcome ghost visit their site?”


I really enjoyed the rhyming in here, how everything was said. Brother, Sister and their cousin wanted to go on their scout trip alone, without the dad. They told him they didn’t want to share the trip, and it was cute how he said he didn’t want to share. “Me sleep with spooks? Not on a dare!” He tried to scare them saying there was a nightly parade of spooks, and the head of them all was the Ghost of the Wood. Mama Bear told them it’s only nonsense and that he’s trying to scare them.

“Then up to the attic to the old-rag box. What’s Papa up to, the sly old fox?” Papa Bear made a ghost costume for himself. The kids told their scout leader Jane what he had said, and she told them it was nonsense, because there are no such things. As she was in the woods looking around she saw Papa Bear practicing with his ghost costume, says two can play that game. She went and made her own spook, using sticks she made a circle and put leaves over it to make a face.

That night, as the kids are sleeping on the ground—and I thought it was odd that she had the whole tent to herself while they slept outside on the ground—they heard ghost noises and went to tell Jane, but she wasn’t in the tent. Then the second spook—the face made out of leaves—came and scared the first spook, so Jane scared Papa Bear with her creation and the kids saw that it was him. Spook #3 came and scared all of them, which was a nice twist. Sister noticed it was wearing her dad’s old hat and jacket, and her mom’s dress, so she figures out it was her mom. She wanted to teach her husband a lesson. Jane said that it was a double ghost lesson. “There are no such things! There never have been! But just as sure as night follows day—it’s fun to be scared of them anyway!” They’re each holding their spooks. Mama looked smug and Papa looked subdued.

I was disappointed because I thought there would be a real ghost to scare them all. It’s kind of annoying when kid’s books teach there’s no such thing as ghosts, because there is, so it’s misleading. And having recently watched a few of the episodes, Mama Bear is always right—about everything, which gets old. It would be nice if she wasn’t always keeper of knowledge and teaching everyone a lesson like she’s the smartest person in the world.

[Heather]

Surprised this is rhyming! Not necessary.
Papa Bear looked like a chipmunk!
I can’t believe they’re telling us papa made a ghost costume. It should be a surprise!
“No papa?” she asked. “That’s very good.” That sounded creepy.
“Now let me explain--THERE ARE NO SUCH THINGS!” no need to yell!
I didn’t know his name was Papa Q. Bear.
That’s funny Papa said “I am the ghost of the forest.” It’s funny when ghosts announce themselves like that, instead of just appearing. &I like that font, which is the same as on the cover.
That’s funny Jane said “I am the ghost of the forest” and ‘I’ was underlined.
That’s funny to spook Papa Bear so he’d learn his lesson. He looked abashed. Ghost #3 was surprise. I did not see that coming!
It was brave of sis to peek out at the ghost.
Pa looked like a chipmunk again!
“It’s a double ghost lesson,” said Jane with a grin. “There are no such things. There never have been!” that was worded weirdly. &I didn’t really understand it.
“But just as sure as night follows day--it’s fun to be scared of them anyway!” it rhymed, but it didn’t really make sense either.
I like reading books that are also tv shows, because you read the story in their voices. This was a cute story around halloween time.

[Tracy Poff]

The Berenstain Bears and the Ghost of the Forest tells how Papa Bear meant to scare the Bear Scouts on their trip to the forest, but ended up receiving a fright himself, courtesy of Mama Bear.

This is another Berenstain Bears book with a decent story, which kind seem to grow increasingly uncommon as the years wore on. This time, there's a story in support of a lesson, rather than a story as an excuse for a lesson.

And the lesson is a fine one for kids, as well. Of ghosts, it says "There are no such things!/There never have been!", but "it's fun to be scared/of them anyway!" And, a little more subtly, treat others as you would be treated--if Papa wants to scare them, he should be prepared to be scared himself.

...

(The full review is posted on my blog.)

[Shacoria]

This is the 16th Berenstain Bears book that I have read. This book, like 'The Berenstain Bears And The Big Road Race' is unique in the series in that it rhymes. There's always been a part of me that thought that children's books should rhyme. I thought this one was pretty funny too.

[Shawna Elenkiwich]

I really liked this book because of the lesson that was taught. The rhyming throughout this story added to the fun of the book. The Berenstain Bears books are good books for children and teaches different lessons throughout each one.

[Sarah Winters]

I think children who love this book. It has a mini-mystery component that would intrigue the reader. It has quick blurbs on each page so it is easier for younger readers. Recommended for first to fourth graders.

[Miki]

I LOVE that this book rhymes, LOL! I love the spookiness and the fun of this story. I would definitely read this installment of the Berenstain Bears with my nephew :)

[Ebook, borrowed from library]

[Jenny]

My kids love this book! In fact, Morgan has played "Ghost of the Forest" under a blanket!

[Lisa]

Picture Book 14
I love this series! I like how there's a lesson to be learned at the end of each one. Its a good way to introduce kids to scray books as well.

[Logan Stark]

Read for the “picture book” square on my Powell’s book bingo card. A fun trip down memory lane with this one 🥰

[Chris Hays]

First read or 2 were a little too scary for son. He adjusted to knowing who is who and what is what and now wants this first each night. Unfortunately, he is having nightmares so this one goes back to the library.

[Jasmine]

One of my sons fav spooky books.

[Salvador Zarate]

Stan and Jan Berenstain bring another adventure from the Berenstain Bears. Now to start off, I think these books are always fun to read, it is definitely a series I grew up with. I never had a bad time reading a Berestain book and being able to read it again as an adult, makes more appreciative of the series. To start the review I want to touch on the rhyme scheme used for the text, I think it is a simple rhyme scheme but sometimes feels all over the place but it is not a deal breaker on whether or not I would read it. I enjoyed reading it due to the playfulness of the characters. Seeing the Pa, Ma, and Jane playing along with the ghost scares was a loving treat, that did make me feel warm. I think these books get their appeal not only because having talking animals doing human activities is intriguing but also having very family oriented tunes. In the series, you always get this loving family vibe which most likely connects well with parents and their families. As far as the writing goes, it is very simple. This book doesn't have a big conflict and is very predictable to figure out the outcome. I do think Stan and Jan don't think they want their books to be cliffhangers because their audiences are children who want a funny, feel good book.

[Bee]

This story shows cubs trying to do something by themselves without the help of their Papa and Papa does not like this. He usually helps them with their trips into the woods and this time he isn't. When Papa tries to teach the cubs a lesson, the tour guide and Mama bear teaches Papa a lesson for messing with the cubs. This story is a good read because it shows children a lesson that they do not have to be involved in everything. Or that when they try to do something to others someone else may do the same thing to them.

[Abbigail Harper]

This would be a cute story to read around Halloween time. It teaches kids that they don't need to be afraid of ghosts, but that it's still fun to have fun with them when camping, etc. If I teach in Utah then this book would be especially relatable to the male students here, as a good majority of them are boy scouts, as are the characters in the story.

[Katt Hansen]

Why Papa Bear has to involve himself in everyone else's business is always beyond me. I'm actually kind of annoyed that he would so go out of his way to just scare the kids. I'm glad that he gets his comeuppance, but the addition of Mama just seems...childish and wrong somehow, and out of character. Especially when she terrifies her own cubs to get back at him.

[chucklesthescot]

Jane is taking the young bears into the Forest for a camping trip and Papa Bear is not invited! So he decides it would be fun to dress up as a ghost and scare the children. This book was so funny with Papa Bear being evil!

[Heidi Tighe]

This is a fun book about Papa's misadventures when he follows the bear cubs into the woods to give them a fright. It's in rhyme, which I don't like as much as I do the prose books, but it's still fun. It's a two or three minute read.

[Dimps]

One of my childhood favorites. :)

[Brian]

I like to think that papa maybe soiled his bear pants twice that night in the woods.

[Hill]

My boys thought this was hilarious.

[Dolly]

Funny story about scaring someone who is trying to scare you. The bears scouts go camping and Papa Bear is determined to get in on the fun...

[Stevie Oberg]

Cute, then again not the best Berenstain Bears book out there.

[Vesra (When She Reads)]

read for Dewey's 24 hour readthon