The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat

I’m not fully on board with this message but it is true a child can run into this situation.

It is autumn and Brother and Sister Bear plan their trick or treat night with guidance from Mama Bear.

They decide to avoid the older woman on one street. They meet a group of boys planning mischief but before anything happens their older neighbor is revealed to be..a nice senior.

On the one hand this can show how to reach out and include children going down the wrong path. And it shows you can get to know someone beyond their appearance to the person within. On the other hand it does imply a house getting toilet papered.

A story for discussion.

Brother and Sister Bear are looking forward to Halloween in this entry in The Berenstain Bears picture-book series, excited to be allowed to go trick-or-treating without adult supervision for the first time. As the two plot their route, they plan to give old Miz McGrizz's gnarled, twisted old treehouse a wide berth, given the rumors that she is a witch. Although Mama Bear tells them that their elderly neighbor is nothing of the sort, the two must learn for themselves that appearances can be deceiving...

Like many American children, I grew up reading about the Berenstain Bears, an anthropomorphic ursine family living in a cozy treehouse in Bear Country, whose adventures always illustrated some moral point. The characters first appeared in show more the 1962 The Big Honey Hunt, edited by none other than Dr. Seuss, and included in the Random House Beginner Books collection. Since that time, hundred of other books have been produced, as well as a television show, video games, plays, and films. I don't think I read The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat as a child, as it was published well after the period when I gravitated toward picture-books, but I have added it to my "sweet youth" shelf all the same. The story is engaging, and while it had an overt didactic aim, it didn't feel overly preachy to me. The story idea here - an elderly woman is mistaken for a witch by the children in her neighborhood - has also been explored in such children's books as Carol Carrick's Old Mother Witch, Sine Van Mole's Meena, and Ruth M. Arthur's A Cottage for Rosemary, amongst many others. The artwork in this one is colorful and cute, like all of the Berenstains' books, and captures the fun and frights of Halloween night.

In sum, an engaging, entertaining Halloween story for the picture-book set, one which addresses an important theme: namely, that we should not judge others based upon their appearance. show less

Brother and Sister Bear get to go trick-or-treating on their own for the first time. They know there's one place in the neighborhood they won't go for treats - the house of Miz McGrizz. They think she's a witch, even though Mama Bear warns the children that appearances can be deceiving.

The Berenstain Bears "First Time Books" were all among my favorites as a young child/early reader. I remember being too young to read and staying up at night under the covers with a flashlight just looking at the pictures and imagining the story. Once I could read, these were among the books I read over and over again. As an adult, some parts of the book make me laugh a little (i.e., the main characters are named Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Brother Bear, Sister show more Bear -- really? That was as imaginative as the authors could get?). The books also come across now as perhaps overly preachy and moralistic, although I think I learned as much (if not more) about manners and good behavior from the Berenstain Bears books than the adults in my life. This particular title is still relevant in today's world where bullying is a major issue in part because children aren't learning to look beyond appearances and finding out the "different" kids aren't as different as they think. show less

'Tis the season to read Halloween books!

Brother and Sister Bear set out for their first trick-or-treat expedition without parental supervision and -- as the book drives home with a sledgehammer -- learn a lesson about how appearances can be deceiving.

Heavy-handed and boring. But my daughter enjoyed it when she was five.

FOR REFERENCE:

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Rated "Indifferent" in our old book database by Rod; rated "Good" by Adelia.

The book The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat is about the infamous bears getting ready for trick or treating. Brother Bear is dressed up as a monster and “scares” Mama Bear. She tells the children that looks can be deceiving. Later, when they go trick or treating, they go with some trouble making children and start to “trick” Miz McGrizz, who they think is a mean old witch. She brings them inside and gives them treats.

I like the message this book gives. The message of looks being deceiving is a great thing to teach children. I think the book was very good. It had some funny parts and some serious parts. It was very easy to read and it used wonderful descriptive words. It had a good story line and would easily be read by a show more child.

I would use this book around Halloween to teach children about Halloween safety. I would also use it to teach children about not judging others based on their appearances. show less

This Berenstein book is another story that takes the reader on an adventure! This is a story that takes the reader through a the traditions of a Halloween holiday! Children finding awesome fun and scary costumes and families carving pumpkins making scary faces in them! This story some of the characters are scared of Halloween and how some aspects of the holiday can be a bit creepy and scary. Well the characters go through some adventure through the woods to find out things are not always as it seems! This is a great book that children can relate to! Such a fun book is jump into!

the bear children are getting ready for halloween. they are scared of Miz McGrizz but their parents say that she is a sweet old lady. as the bears go through their halloween night, they realize that Miz McGrizz really is a nice woman and that not everything is as scary as it seems.
2 books