| The Berenstain Bears and the Big Question (First Time Books(R)) | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 11 reviews)
Sales Rank: 241095
Category: Book
Authors: Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Studio: Random House Books for Young Readers
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
Label: Random House Books for Young Readers
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 32
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 8 x 8 x 0.2
ISBN: 0679889612
EAN: 9780679889618
ASIN: 0679889612
Publication Date: October 12, 1999
Release Date: October 12, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
When Sister Bear asks her mother about God, Mama tries to explain.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 They Didn't Really Answer the Big Question. May 22, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am Christian and was greatly looking forward to getting this book for my daughter. When it arrived and I read it I was severely disapointed because it never answered the big question. The closest that it got was that God made everything. That was it. So, if your wanting to get this book to actually help answer that question for your children I wouldn't recomend it because it doesn't answer it.
 A Helpful Story April 14, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book deals with the subject of religion in a way that is thoughtful and constructive. It is not overly aggressive or obnoxious in preaching religion but it does provide a useful context for discussing religious issues with kids. Its title is "The Big Question"--the book is about questions and how we deal with them. I think it is a nice addition to the Berenstain Bears library and it's interesting to see the authors trying to deal with more complex subjects like this--not an easy task. I think they handled it very well.
A great book!!! Don't believe these fools. August 4, 2006
4 out of 9 found this review helpful
I'm tired of people complaining about how the world is not open to their views. Those people are completely closed to the Christian view. This book is great and it does not shove anything down your throught. I enjoyed it and can't wait to share it.
THANK YOU STAN BERENSTAIN for being open minded.
 ...and the Smaller Answer. June 13, 2006
8 out of 15 found this review helpful
I grew up with the Berenstain Bears, reading them and having them read to me both as a connection with the outside world and a symbol of morality. While I enjoyed their handling of bullying, Racism, and School Problems, I find myself not that satisfied with this interpretation of 'what is out there'.
I'm a Humanist. Unlike the Richard Dawkinses out there, I don't believe in the eradication of Religion entirely, but in tolerating it as an alternative and mostly good view. Like The Bears themselves and their Grandparents in this book, my less immediate Family were and still are deeply faithful Methodists, and like the bears they were more in favour of using Religion as a connection between different people rather than a seperation between different faiths.
Richard Dawkins and some similarly-minded reviewers on this very page fall into the trap of believing that Religion is only one thing, and in their idea it is a force that makes people kill other people for a holy wars. Yet look into the stories of Buddhism and the traditions of Judeaism, spend one morning in a methodist Church and an afternoon in a Mosque, and you can see that the Average true believer couldn't care less who doesn't worship the way they do - all that matters to them Religion-Wise is Pleasing God, and the biggest rule of all Religions is: 'Do Unto Others as you would have them Do Unto You'.
Thus, I find a few problems with this book. Firstly, when Sister asks Papa, our symbol of the Patriarchal side of the outside world, he begins to give us the alternative, scientific ideas - that the Universe was born in a Big Bang, that stars each have a place, etc. - but this is rudely dismissed as a 'BORING LECTURE'. Mama, the symbolisation of the Kinder, 'Matriarchal' society, immediatley scoops Sister away and explains that it's all part of 'God's Plan' - but in doing so presumes to the Readers that this is solid, unarguable fact.
These are the only objections I have. The parts in the Church are better because they show children the good side of Religion, but it should also be varied as to other religions - Like Professor Actual Factual in 'Berenstain Bears Don't Pollute (Anymore)' showing us different kinds of Pollution around Bear Country, Mama could have taken the family to other Religious places in town, or even next door to the Panda family, who might be Buddhists.
All I'm saying is that though I deeply respect all of the Berenstain family, it might be wise to revise their introduction to Religion. Children, when books are read to them, are 'Clean Slates' - their ideas are new and only vaguely affected by outside influence. Unlike TV & Gaming machines, a Book can give them an informed opinion of a subject - so we have to be careful not to give them one view, but let them choose from several.
Thanks for reading, and all my Love to the Bear Family.
-A.N.
 Closed minded April 25, 2006
9 out of 20 found this review helpful
I was a fan of the Berenstain Bears as a kid and as I grew up I respected the way they could address difficult issues in an open minded, positive, and non-biased manner. Thus, I was suprised when I read this title. Expecting maybe a look at world religions or some such, I was disappointed to find it only looked at Christianity.
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