Berenstain Bears: God Bless Our Country by Mike Berenstain (Book Review)
We got a little 4th of July preview this week with the chance to review The Berenstain Bears: God Bless Our Country by Mike Berenstain. Evidently Bear Country is somewhere in the United States, because in this story Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear learned all about how the settlers of our country declared their independence on July 4 and a new nation was born. Along with a little history lesson from Papa Bear, they celebrate the 4th of July with a parade, complete with patriotic decorations, marching veterans, and a fireworks display.
Mike Berenstain continues the series of books started by his parents with stories that teach valuable lessons for children. While the original books focused on life lessons for a more general audience, the books by Mike Berenstain have a distinctly Christian perspective and focus more on lessons of faith. Even in this patriotic book, God is given a prominent place. Papa tells the cubs, “We believe that it was God’s will that our new country came to be,” and at the end of the book, the family gives thanks to God “for a land that’s free.”
While I haven’t always been as impressed with the newer Berenstain Bear books as the classic series, this book is definitely a keeper. My kids loved the stickers that came with it, and I loved the simplicity of the story and its message. There are discussion questions and activity suggestions at the end of the book to help impress the message even more upon your children’s hearts. This book is a great addition to the patriotic section of our family library.
