The Berenstain Bears >> Characters
Brother Bear
Though he is in no sense a “goody-two-shoes”, bright, stalwart Brother Bear is something of a straight-arrow who is looked up to by his classmates. Brother is a reasonably good student, but he does occasionally fall behind in his studies because of his love of sports (see "Trouble at School" 1986). Whether the ball is small, hard and horsehide, ovoid and subject to funny bounces, big and round, or made of white hexagons and black pentagons, Brother is always ready to play. Though he loves all sports, soccer is his favorite way to get his kicks. He’s not much of a TV watcher, but he is an avid video game player. So much so that Mama has found it necessary to limit his time before the console. He pretends to find his sister a bit of a pain (she does tend to tag along). In reality, however, he loves her dearly and will go to any length to protect her (see "The Bully" 1993). Though he doesn’t really relish his role as protector of smaller cubs, Brother is one who stands up to the Too-Tall Gang, schoolyard bullies par excellence (see "The Wrong Crowd" 2001).
Sister Bear
Though Sister Bear didn’t come along until "The New Baby" (1973) (we received hundreds of letters from little girls saying, “Why don’t you have a girl bear?”). She quickly became a lively and significant contributor to the Bear Family saga. A spirited, sprightly, spunky third grader (Brother is a fifth grader), Sister was a worthy and interesting protagonist is such titles as "The Bad Habit" (1986), "The In-Crowd" (1989), and "Slumber Party" (1990) as well as co-protagonist with older Brother Bear in most series titles. Though the term “feminist” is not part of her vocabulary, she is quick to respond to any gender slight or stereotyping. She is an equal-opportunity competitor who can outrun, out-jump, and out-climb most boys her own age. Not one to hide her light under a bushel, she can’t quite understand why boys get so huffy when she outperforms them (see "No Girls Allowed" (1986). Though Sister is outgoing, outdoorsy and sports-minded (she is an excellent second base-person – see "Go Out for the Team" (1986) – and can give Brother Bear a pretty fair game of one-on-one soccer), she is equally at home giving tea parties for her stuffed animals and cosseting her beloved collection of Bearbie Dolls. Sister is a pretty good student, strong in reading and writing but somewhat less so in number work. An avid reader, she is especially fond of fairytales – Goldibear, Little Red Riding Bear are her favourites – but eschews the spooky-type mysteries Brother prefers. While Sister may not be interested in boys per se she is nevertheless a careful counter of the number of valentines she receives on Valentines Day and takes special note of how many say S.W.A.K.. Sister is an inveterate rope-jumper, hopscotcher, and jacks player and is the best double-dutcher in her set. She always has her red-handled jump rope handy. One of her goals in life is to jump to a thousand. Her jacks goal is to reach tensies.
Papa Bear
Loveable, great-hearted bigger-than-life, Papa Bear is a character to be reckoned with. Though he does have a tendency to overreact occasionally as he does in response to Brother’s unsatisfactory report card (see "Report Card Trouble" 2002), he is also the one who rises to the occasion in times of crisis, as he does when normally steady Mama freaks out in "Messy Room "(1983), and when Mama actually breaks down and cries in "Too Much Pressure" (1992). A loyal responsible, hardworking husband and father, Papa is a woodsbear and carpenter by trade. He fells and processes trees (always employing ecologically sound replanting practices at the behest of environmentally committed Brother and Sister Bear). He conducts a furniture making and reconditioning business in the garage/shop that stands next to the Bears tree house. Papa is an excellent, if over-enthusiastic father. He is always ready to make whatever sacrifice is necessary for the benefit of his cubs. For example, he suffers at least as much as cubs, Brother and Sister, when Mama decides that there has been altogether too much TV-watching in the tree house and declares that there shall be no TV for a whole week (see "Too Much TV" 1984). Papa is an ardent fisherman, outdoorsbear and seeker after honey. His favorite dishes are honey-baked salmon and French fried honeycomb. Though he is especially fond of wild honey, the local wild bee population is more than a match for him. But Papa is by no means all enthusiasm and appetite. He definitely has a serious side. He is, for example, a responsible citizen and community member, even running for public office on one occasion. He runs hard, even to the point of eating such ethnic food as wood chips in order to get the beaver vote (see "The Big Election" 1984).
Mama Bear
Warm, wise Mama Bear is the heart, soul and anchor of the Berenstain Bears family. She is always there for her beloved cubs, Brother and Sister Bear. It is Mama who usually teaches the cubs such essentials as the need for honesty, courtesy, and the willingness to share (see "The Truth" 1983, "Forget Their Manners" 1985, and "Think of Those in Need" 1999). While Mama is gentle and kind, she is no pushover. She is more than capable of putting her foot down when her patience is tested, as when she puts her foot down in Brother Bear’s airplane glue in "Messy Room" (1983). Nor is Mama a shrinking violet in situations where moral imperatives are at stake. In family discussions she is a spirited defender of her positions. It is Mama who saves Papa from Archie Bunkerism and sets a good example for the cubs when a different sort of family moves in next door (see "New Neighbors" 1994). Mama is both an avid gardener and a highly-talented quilt-maker. She joins the more than 50% of mothers who work outside the home and she turns her avocation into a vocation by opening a cooperative quilt store with other members of her quilting circle (see "Mama’s New Job" 1984). Mama is not only the keeper of the family morals and manners, she is manager of family money, and as such takes it upon herself to introduce her cubs to the intricacies of finance (see "Trouble with Money" 1983, and "Dollars and Sense" 2001). Mama also has to deal with traditionalist Papa’s resistance to change. Soccer mom, Mama, not only helps coach Brother and Sister’s team, she manages to overcome old baseballer Papa Bear’s snooty attitude toward the kicking game (see "Get Their Kicks" 1998).