FAMILY

It’s Brother’s birthday, and it’s the best ever.

Unlike other Berenstain Bears titles, this one is more about appreciating what you have than about teaching any particular lesson, per se. While preparations for his birthday party are underway, Brother asks Mama if Uncle Tex and Aunt May, who live out West, are really going to attend. With a hug and a little tear over how Brother’s grown, Mama pulls out the photo album, and both parents talk about what a blessing family is. This gets the cubs thinking about all the family time they’ve enjoyed, both good and bad, and Mama and the cubs share their favorite moments. The doorbell puts an end to the reminiscences and a start to the festivities, which are over all too soon in an abrupt ending that may have readers searching for missing pages. After Uncle Tex whispers that he hopes Brother likes his presents, readers never see what’s inside the beribboned boxes. And while Brother blows out his candles, the book ends with the family described (but not seen) as settling down to eat cake. Perhaps this is the lesson after all—readers don’t see the gifts or the cake-eating but they do see the family time, which is the important part and precisely what makes this Brother’s best birthday. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Those sneaky bears are getting better about disguising their lessons, but their conclusions still need some work.