The Berenstain Bears and the Mama's Day Surprise

The Berenstain Bears

by Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain

Come for a visit with the Berenstain Bears in this beloved story that's perfect to teach children about the importance of thoughtfulness and family, great for a storytime read this Mother's Day!

A classic First Time Book; from Stan and Jan Berenstain. It's Mother's Day, and Papa and the cubs want to do something very special for Mama, but will they be able to keep it a secret? Includes over 50 bonus stickers!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Fiction, Humor

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

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

[Gladimore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book speaks to me so much as a mother! I am mama bear always thinking I know what the surprise will be and preparing for the things I know my family will forget. Then preparing myself for the inevitable mess that will come next.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give this story two stars because the book makes it out like a husband and children do a bad job trying to surprise Mama - like they aren't capable of coming up with a nice surprise without screwing something up. Sure they surprised her with the clean kitchen in the end, but it doesn't make up for Mama thinking the whole time that they couldn't get the job done secretly on their own.

[Esther · Rating 1 out of 5]

Should be grouped with the one where Mama Bear does all the work anyway on their dinner out as “Berenstain Bears and Patriarchy for Kids” book duo. Rewrite suggestion - Mama Bear ignores the mess, doesn’t think at all about grocery shopping, and just has a day out all by herself and enjoys a ladies brunch at a swanky cafe with bottomless non-virgin mimosas. You’re welcome.

[Pooja Banga · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a perfect package or say story to teach the importance of family and connection to your kids..

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids enjoyed the book and the Berenstain bears are always fun. They liked seeing the mess papa made of the kitchen and the kids planning the surprise.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

Refreshingly sexist... Why is Mama Bear expected to clean up Papa and the cubs' mess? Spoiler alert, they clean up after themselves, but her expectation that she'll have to clean up BECAUSE she's a mama bear is sexist. This was copyrighted in 2004 (if I remember correctly) and it's perpetuating gender stereotypes. Shame!

[Leslie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would have been 3 stars if published in the 50's. But for 2004, the sexism is unforgivable.

[Stef · Rating 1 out of 5]

UGH. A bland story that follows a bland, pre-feminist-era matriarch with no interests outside of housework, acting 89 years old, and being smug, so it's little wonder her well-intentioned but mostly inept family lacks imagination in delivering an equally bland Mother's Day "surprise," one that she herself helps them achieve with bored, tired arrogance.

[Qamar · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are thrilled you've enjoyed "The Berenstain Bears and the Mama's Day Surprise" by Stan Berenstain. The story beautifully illustrates the joy of giving and expressing gratitude for our loved ones.
The best gifts often come from the heart, and the thought and love behind them genuinely matter.

Keep reading and cherishing those special moments with our family!

Love,
Father & mother

[Ellie Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that Mama knew about the surprise the whole time. At first this book made me sad because she had to do a lot of the work even for her own surprise and she seemed to just take it as part of being a woman, but thankfully the family came through at least on this day.

[Danielle Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving

[Trotter-Ross4yahoo.Ca]

Its grate I want to read it

[K.U. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was lovely and fun to read.

[Mari]

did noot like this. You're not the only smart one, mama bear.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

She got the real surprise at the end!

[Tanisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute

This was a cute little story. My girls and I love a good berenstain bear book. We read them all the time.

[June · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a dubious relationship with Mother's Day. This captures a bit of it, but redemptively.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't the greatest Berenstain Bear's book but it wasn't one of the worse ones either was a middle of the way book. I love Berenstain Bears; and can't believe there is such a wide range of various writing feelings almost like more than just the one couple wrote them? But anyhow... this is a Mother's Day book and Mama knows what the family is up to and although appreciates the efforts don't really look forward to it because she knows that the clean up will be left for her. She goes and buys all the items they need 'cause she sees the receipe marked and knows what her gift will be etc. But in the end she is pleasantly surprised because all of what she anticipated did come true but with a little extra niceness... like I said not a horrible book but not one of the best ones either.

[Krys (Krys Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry, I wasn't planning on having two Berenstain Bears stories but here's another one: Mama Bear anxiously waits for her special to come around. But the more she thinks about it the more anxious she gets as she thinks about how much cleaning she will have to do. "It's the thought that counts", she would say. In the end Mama Bear gets a really big surprise. Read this lovely tale to find out when Mama Bear gets more than what she expected.

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mother's Day is approaching and Mama Bear already knows what her surprises her family are planning for her. Surreptitiously, she makes sure they have everything they need so they can "surprise" her. Deep down, she's dreading the day for the mess they will make that she will have to clean up. The biggest surprise of all comes when Papa and cubs actually clean up their own messes. So, obviously a fairy tale...

Typical Berenstain Bears illustrations.

[chucklesthescot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mama Bear starts thinking about the upcoming Mother's Day and decides to give her cubs a subtle helping hand with the preperations so she can be 'surprised'.

OK you can argue that Mama seems to expect to have a huge mess to clear up just because she is the mother and it's a bit sexist but I liked the subtle way she tries to make it easier for her family to give her a big treat. And the bears as always are so cute!

[Tiny Mendoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the story! If the story is the only thing I'm going to give a rating to, I'll give it a rating of 5. But since I'm rating the artiness of the book too, I'm sad to say that I'll give the entire book a rating of 4 since I didn't liked the illustrations that much.
Still, loved this book so much! :)

[Miri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to surprise mama bears who always know when their cubs are planning something. Mama bear knows with mother's day coming that the cubs and papa will be planning a special something for her, so she works behind the scenes making sure they'll have everything they need to surprise her.

[Mandy J. Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay. It was cute, but I didn't like the take on how Mama knew all about the surprise. I would put this book in the "Glad I borrowed it and not bought it" category.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love all berenstain bear books!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute book, little long for storytime, but still fun!

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mama Bear gets a nice surprise from Papa Bear and the cubs on Mother's Day.

[Nicoblu72 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 5yo loves the Berenstain Bears

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother's Day is coming, and Mama Bear knows that Papa and the cubs are going to surprise her. Includes a free Mother's Day card. Full color. Consumable.

[Heather Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

megan summer reading 2016, children's book, picture book, series, berenstain bears, mother's day, surprise, family, first grade, second grade,