I did not grow up with this series−my favorites as a kid were books like Maurice Sendak's Where The Wild Things Are and Golden Press' The Monster at the End of This Book (notice a trend?). I'm not sure I would have really cared for the Bears had I been exposed to them, but I am aware of how popular they have been with modern-day children (apparently my niece is their biggest fan). The fact that they get children to read is a good thing, hopefully leading to more.
I had the opportunity to meet Jan and Stan Berenstain back in 2002, when I traveled to their home in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, to conduct an interview for the Norman Rockwell Museum exhibition The Berenstain Bears Celebrate: The Art of Stan and Jan Berenstain. This was the first exhibition video I created for the Museum, so it meant a lot at the time. The exhibit and video would go on to travel, and were even on view at the Strong National Museum of Play, in my hometown of Rochester, New York.
I thought the following sequence was the most effective part of the video, where we went into the couple's studio and learned about how they worked. This really was where they came to life and seemed the most comfortable. So here's to you, Jan and Stan... wishing you peace in that big treehouse in the sky.
Related Links:
"Jan Berenstain, Co-Creator Of Berenstain Bears, Dies," NPR, 2/28/12
"A bear-hug farewell to Jan Berenstain, cocreator of the Bear family,"
Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/28/12
"Jan Berenstain Dies at 88; Created Berenstain Bears," New York Times, 2/27/12
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