the two little bears are having a fight. their fight was so long that they forgot what it was about. eventually momma bear explains to them that even people who love each other have fights but it is important to work things out.
2 book

I enjoyed this story because of its illustrations, the writing style, and the message. I really liked the illustrations as they show what the characters are doing and give readers a better view into why Brother and Sister are fighting as we can see the events that transpire. For example, we can see how annoying Sister's feet appeared to be while they were in Brother's face by looking at the picture on that page. In addition, the pictures aid the writing, making it a true picture book, by showing things that the characters are doing and how they interact with others to add to the meaning in the text. I also like the writing style of the authors and their word choice and style. I enjoy how they italicize key words to show emphasis in the story, like when Sister and Brother are arguing and a word or two is in italics to show that emphasis should be placed on it to make the words come alive and make the argument seem more real. In addition, I like the word choice and how the authors use words like "dopey" as a child-appropriate insult and how Mama Bear uses words like "foolish" and "sternly" to give her character that motherly feel. I also like how all the Berenstain Bears books have a clear message to them that children are able to learn from. For example, in this particular book, Brother and Sister bear have a fight and Mama gives them a talk where she explains that arguing is natural but we have to make up and forgive each other. This message is essential for children to learn, especially for those who have siblings. The main message of the story is that siblings and people who live together fight, but that it is important to still love one another and forgive and make up afterwards. ( )

37 months - luckily not really an issue with just one child in the house but she liked the story all the same. ( )

On most days, Brother and Sister Bear get along. They play together, work with each other on projects, and are polite. One gloomy morning, though, they wake up in a bad mood. Sister dangles her feet over the edge of her bunk bed, right in front of Brother's face. Brother snaps, and Sister snaps back, and suddenly they are in a terrible fight over nothing. For the rest of the day, they refuse to talk. They purposely do things that they know will irritate the other, and they draw a line down the middle of the tree house they were building together and assign sides. The hostilities don't show any signs of abating, and as the storm clouds erupt into a furious thunderstorm, a screaming match breaks out in the Bear house. Mother Bear has had enough. She sets them down for one of her talks. First, she asks them if they even remember what they were fighting over. When they don't, she points out that everyone has bad days, and fights between family members and those you love are to be expected, but it's important to be able to let go and forgive. The cubs make up just after the rainstorm breaks in the sky, revealing a beautiful rainbow.

My girls are currently going through a Berenstain Bear phase, so I am reading to them all the books we own in the series. They are cute stories with always a moral emphasis, and are accompanied with cartoony and appealing cartoons. In this story, the problem of family fights is addressed, and the book both acknowledges the likelihood of arguments breaking out among family members, and the importance of remembering that these disagreements don't mean we love each other any less, and we should be able to forgive and move on. With two young children growing up together, this kind of lesson is useful and very easy for them to relate to.

I loved these books when I was a kid, and judging by my daughters' focused attention now, their attraction for young audiences has not faded over time. As an older reader, I do notice that each book has a pat solution, and they can be preachy. Mama Bear is always right, and smarter than Papa, and she typically fixes everything. Brother and Sister are typical, almost stereotypical, siblings. Despite its simplified nature, where everything comes out right in the end, this book and the broader series are great reads for kids of this young age. Let them tackle more complex issues with multiple factors when they're a little older. At this point in my daughters' lives, I appreciate stories that present problems they recognize from their experience, and then provide reassuring answers and resolution. ( )

I believe this is a realistic novel because fights do happen with children! This is a story to read to them before or after they fight so that they know that it is not okay to fight, but at the same time, that sometimes we do get upset with each other. It is all about how we handle the situation and the bears in this book explain to the reader just how to do that!