BB & TRBL W/GROWNUPS (First-Time Books) [Hardcover]

Stan Berenstain (Author)

Book Description

Series: First-Time Books

Tired their parents' nagging, Brother and Sister Bear put on a play for the Parents' Night Talent Show called ""The Trouble with Grownups,"" and when Mama and Papa retaliate with their own production, everyone learns something about themselves.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Illus. in full color. Brother and Sister Bear's parents always seem to be nagging them about something, so the cubs decide to show how their parents annoy them by creating a play entitled "The Trouble with Grownups." Then Mama and Papa put on their own role-reversal skit, and everyone winds up learning something about themselves.   --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Stan and Jan Berenstain were both born in 1923 in Philadelphia.  They didn't know each other as children, but met later at school, at the Philadelphia College of Art.  They liked each other right away, and found out that the both enjoyed the same kinds of books, plays, music and art.  During World War II, Stan was a medical assistant in the Army, and Jan worked in an airplane factory.  When the war was over, they got married and began to work together as artists and writers, primarily drawing cartoons for popular magazines.  After having their two sons Leo and Michael, the Berenstains decided to write some funny children's books that their children and other children could read and enjoy.  Their first published children's book was called The Big Honey Hunt .  It was about a family of bears, who later became known as the "Berenstain Bears".  

Over 50 children's books later, Stan and Jan still plan all of their books together -- both write the stories, and both write the pictures.  They live outside of Philadelphia in the country. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (April 14, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679930000
• ISBN-13: 978-0679930006
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,565,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A change of perspective., September 8, 2002

By 

tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Grownups (Paperback)

The book opens with Papa and Mama Bear in grumpy moods. Papa yells at Brother for taking the sports section of the paper, Mama yells at Sister for talking on the phone too long, Mama and Papa yell at the cubs for playing with their food and for not giving them notes from school on time. The cubs go to school the next day and have to prepare for the Parent's Night Talent Show. After talking with their friends, they decide to put on a play called The Trouble With Grownups, which is the hit of the night. The show reminds the parents what it was like to be a cub. In the morning, the parents switch roles with the cubs so that they can see what it's like to be a parent. At the end they remind the cubs that they will probably be parents someday too, which gives the cubs something to think about.

The book never explains why Mama and Papa are so grumpy. However, most children can probably relate because people don't always explain why they are in a bad mood. However, Sister Bear's creation of a bowl from mashed potatoes for gravy was a brilliant example of creativity and it seemed more confusing to me that she got yelled at about it.

As a sidenote, I enjoyed this book a little more than I thought I would because it also briefly explains all the work that goes into putting on a play.

Overall, this is a good book for both parents and children to read together; it may help children see what it's like to be an adult and it may help parents remember what it's like to be a kid.

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Predictable, March 14, 2001

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Grownups (Paperback)

This presents the kind of "moral lesson" familiar to those who have read other books in the series. (The moral is presented as a rhyme on the title page: "Grownups and cubs get quite a surprise when they see themselves through the others' eyes.")

The book opens with some very grumpy parents getting angry (and petty) with their kids: Brother: "What eating him?" Mother: "...and furthermore, I'll thank you not to refer to your father as 'him.'" Five pages later, Father "roars" at brother, "Food isn't supposed to be interesting...it's supposed to be food."

The kids, who "had no doubt that their parents loved them, [but] they were a little difficult to get along with sometimes," then enact a play to show their parents what it all sounded like to them. Fine, and there's a few nice lines about getting costumes ready, but then the adults give their kids the same medicine they received: The next day, wearing oversized version of Brother and Sister's clothes, they complain, scream, jump up and down, and leave things strewn all over the living room. Yes, sinking to the children's level is ALWAYS a mature, adult way to handle your kids. (Please note sarcasm here.)

It's not exactly harmful, nor does the book pretend to be a parent's guidebook, but I found this version of "perspective-taking" contrived and annoying. The book isn't very clever, and the pictures are flat and lacking in imagination. Only for a real Berenstain Bears fan.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Trouble With Children, April 26, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Grownups (Paperback)

The Trouble With Grownups is a good book that every parent should read to their child. Brother Bear and sister bear feel that their parents are to hard on them and let them do nothing. Like most kids they don't relize that it's hard being a parent to. Brother Bear and sister bear get a taste of their own medicine when their parents start acting like them. Finally the cubs relize what things their parents can go through. I think this is a good book because it can teach a child the means of respect in words they can understand. This is a fully illistrated well written book. I to read this as a child and it help me understand the importance of parents and respect. Every child should pick up this book and read it because maybe it will teach them to me a little better to their parents.