PUBLICATION DATE: JANUARY 10, 2012

he Berenstain Bears All Things Bright and Beautiful by Jan and Mike Berenstain follows Brother and Sister Bear as they go to Sunday school. Their teacher, Missus Ursula, takes them on a nature walk to show them all the things that God made. As the title suggests, the song “All Things Bright and Beautiful” appear throughout the book in its entirety. The cubs learn the song, but they also interact with nature and learn to appreciate all the God has for them to enjoy in the great outdoors.

In light of Jan’s recent death, this book does well to sum up her mission for educating young families. It gets at Jan’s heart and speaks volumes of her lasting legacy. The cubs are taken outside to learn about God. Outside is a reoccurring theme throughout the Berenstain Bears books. Stan and Jan were constantly encouraging young readers to get up and go explore. Now it seems that Jan and her son Mike were trumpeting that same thesis. There is no bumbling Papa in this book. He is there, just not the near-moron he has been portrayed as in titles past. A nice family going to church and learning about the world outside that God created. Most of the story is about the cubs with Missus Ursula. I did wish that there was more Bear family interaction.

Definitely pick this book up when you see it on the shelves. Not only will it bring you back to your own childhood memories of Bear stories, but it will help you in your own parenting. You can teach your children a hymn that, if you’re like me, you wouldn’t know all of the lyrics to without this book as a guide.

–Mary Twomey

n The Berenstain Bears All Things Bright and Beautiful, Brother and Sister Bear arrive at church one Sunday morning to be told by their teacher, Missus Ursula, that they will be taking a nature walk. The cubs are not sure what a nature walk has to do with church, but they will soon find out.

Missus Ursula takes the class all through Bear Country. They see animals and flowers and gardens and trees. Soon Missus Ursula and the cubs are singing the hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful as they go on their walk, noting that everything they see in creation was made by God.

Having been a fan of the Berenstain Bears since childhood, I love them even more as a parent. I like how so many of them now focus on God and Christian living.

This book does a great job of showing that God created everything. I liked how the song went along with what the bear cubs were seeing on their nature walk. The pictures are engaging, and the story is easy to follow for little ones.

The only thing that I didn’t like about this book was when the bears pass by a farm, and the farmer and his wife are out in the fields and the garden. This wouldn’t be a big deal on any other day, but the cubs are taking their nature walk during Sunday school class on a Sunday. Everyone else in Bear Country is at church, so why are the farmer and his wife at home working? This isn’t a huge deal. I realize that farmers sometimes have to work on Sundays during harvest time. It just struck me as odd.

My three-year-old daughter liked the song part of this book the best. (I actually sing the All Things Bright and Beautiful song when we come to those parts in the book.) This book also has a pull-out sticker sheet in it, and she likes those, too.

The Berenstain Bears All Things Bright and Beautiful is a good reminder to all of us to give honor to our great God who created all things.

–Sara Shoop