History Literature / TheBerenstainBears

** In the Big Chapter Book ''And the Dress Code'', Brother has been largely neutral in the fight over "rad clothes", saying outright at one point that "I'm not into rad clothes myself. But it doesn't bother me when other cubs wear them to school." Eventually though, when Miss Glitch comes to his home asking for Papa's support, it proves to be the last straw -- when she mentions they're planning to delay the school concert (which Brother is taking part in and wants to get ''over'' with so he and the other students can move on to new music) in favor of a big school assembly about their opposition to the cubs' new fashions, an act that Brother views as an even bigger disruption than the clothes themselves. The chapter is even titled "The Turning Point", as it sees Brother fully joining the rad movement as a major leader.
** Later in the same book, when Vice-Principal Grizzmeyer announces a new dress code rule that basically lets him outlaw any clothes he personally doesn't like, Ferdy Factual (who's been pretty snide towards ''both'' sides over the whole thing) finally announces his support for his fellow cubs and joins the F.R.E.E.S. organization.

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Ed Hooper from ''The Haunted Hayride''. To buy out Farmer Ben (and Farmer Ben doesn't want to sell him his products because he'll lose money thanks to Hooper short-selling farmers), he resorts to damaging his crops with blight, leaving fences for the cows to graze on onion grass, and [[spoiler:paying a criminal to loosen a wheel on a wagon, which would have resulted in multiple injuries.]] And why does he resort to all these? [[EvilIsPetty He stepped in cow pies after Ben chased him off his farm.]]

* RelatedDifferentlyInTheAdaptation: Combined with AdaptationalNameChange. In the 2003 cartoon series, Cousin Freddy's parents are named Artie and Dottie, and Artie is Papa's half-brother. But in the books, namely those published after the series, Freddy's parents are named Wilbur and Min, and Min is Mama's sister.

** In "Go to the Doctor", Papa Bear sneezes, but denies he ever gets sick. [[spoiler:It turns out, he has a cold. By then, he's also developed a fever and a red throat.]]

* RelatedDifferentlyInTheAdaptation: Combined with AdaptationalNameChange. In the 2003 cartoon series, Cousin Freddy's parents are named Artie and Dottie, and Artie is Papa's half-brother. But in the books, namely those published after the series, Freddy's parents are named Wilbur and Min, and Min is Mama's sister.

** ''The Berenstain Bears and the Sitter'' introduces a "Cousin Wilbur" (presumably either Mama or Papa's cousin, since he's an adult). In later books, he becomes Uncle Wilbur, the father of Cousin Fred.

* {{Retcon}}: When Lizzy Bruin is introduced in ''Trouble with Friends'', she's said to be an only cub (which is why she tends to [[OnlyChildSyndrome expect her own way all the time]]). But later in the series, she gained an older brother, Barry Bruin.

* EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs: Dinosaurs frequently pop up throughout the franchise, mainly because Brother is a dinosaur-lover. One book was even titled "Brother Bear Loves Dinosaurs".

* OhCrap: In ''The Bermuda Triangle'' chapter book Cool Carl King is described as with a frozen expression of terror in the last chapter as Ms. Glitch describes how the cheating ring (which Carl was responsible for) has been uncovered and the steps that have been take to thwart it.

* ReadTheFinePrint: The Big Chapter Book ''In the Freaky Funhouse'' has the villains committing contract fraud, by tricking their victim into signing four copies. The first one donates eighty percent of the money they collect to the hospital, while the circus gets twenty percent, minus expenses. The other three copies, which she didn't read after signing the first one, had it the other way around. The culprits, fortunately, are caught when the first contract is located and used as evidence of fraud.

* SecondPlaceIsForLosers: Zigzagged in the Big Chapter book ''And the Ghost of the Auto Graveyard''. There's an auto show going on, and local tycoon Squire Grizzly has entered his four best cars (all extremely rare and well-maintained) in order to ensure that he wins all three trophies for first, second and third. At the end of the book, Papa Bear's roadster (the last car made by a well-known car company before it went out of business) manages to win third. Papa is happy with winning third given how stiff the competition was, while the Squire is envious about not winning all three trophies for the best cars in the country.

* UnmanlySecret: In ''And the Ghost of the Auto Graveyard'', burly junkyard owner Two-Ton Grizzly is terrified of anyone knowing that he's [[spoiler:afraid of the dark, and that his wife and daughter do most of the night work at the junkyard.]]
* VerySpecialEpisode: Many of the Big Chapter Books, which deal with subjects such as theft and even drug dealing.

Cannot help but use [[Wiki/TVTropes tropes]]."''
-->'''A Wiki/TVTropes related example of the little poems that are found at the beginning of the Berenstain Bear Books'''

There were also several {{Animated Adaptation}}s over time: ''Christmas Tree'', ''Meet Bigpaw'', ''Easter Surprise'', ''Valentine Special'' and ''Littlest Leaguer'' (also called ''Play Ball''), all of which aired on Creator/{{NBC}}. A TV series (''The Berenstain Bears Show'') aired on Creator/{{CBS}} between 1985 and 1986, and a second began in 2002 on Creator/{{Teletoon}} and Creator/{{PBSKids}}. The 1980s cartoon was an InternationalCoproduction between the American and Australian Creator/HannaBarbera units and Aussie's Southern Star (originally a subsidiary of H-B AU prior to the end of TheEighties, later folded into Endemol); the PBS series was produced by Canada's Creator/{{Nelvana}}. Nelvana also previously held the rights to the older CBS series after Southern Star was folded into Endemol.

* SiblingsInCrime: The Bogg brothers -- Bert, Bart and Billy Bogg -- who do all sorts of crimes together in the ''Big Chapter'' and ''Bear Scouts'' books, from shooting endangered species, deliberately polluting the river, selling drugs (and trying to frame Ralph Ripoff for the same), shoplifting and reselling of the stolen items, and sabotage.

* RedBaron: The first (in)FamousAncestor in Squire Grizzly and Bonnie's family tree was a ruthless bandit known alternately as "Bad" Bart and "The Maniac of Mountain Highway." When his ghost seemingly shows up during a ScoobyDooHoax, he gets a posthumous third moniker: The Maniac of Grizzly Mansion.

* PottyEmergency: The book "Get the Don't Haftas" has the Bear family preparing to go on a long car ride to visit Aunt Dorothy, and Mama keeps reminding Sister that using the bathroom before they leave would be a good idea, but [[BrokenRecord she keeps insisting "I don't hafta."]] Of course, among leaving the house and starting to drive through Beartown, Sister cries out "I HAFTA!" -- and [[UpToEleven Papa, Mama and Brother also have to use the bathroom as well]], so they immediately turn around back to their treehouse. The final page shows Sister, apparently having finished doing her business first, asking from outside the front door, "Hey, everybody! Are we going to visit Aunt Dorothy or not?"

* RetroUniverse: No matter what modern features may appear in the series, the family always drives a 1930s-style car (identified as a 1957 roadster from Grizzly Garage in the Big Chapter Book ''And the Ghost of the Auto Graveyard''). The clothing styles tend to be evocative of rural America in the early 20th century. Candlestick telephones also seem to remain in vogue, but the series flip-flops a bit on that.

* SeriesContinuityError: In ''The Galloping Ghost'' the Bogg Brothers are named Billy, Bert, and Bart, but in ''The Ripoff Queen,'' they are identified as Billy, Bert, [[SuddenNameChange and Bobby.]] The former book also calls Billy the youngest brother, while the latter book identifies him as the eldest.

* SuspenderSnag: In ''Easter Surprise'', when Papa Bear is sawing off a tree branch, Brother warns him too late that he's standing on the branch he's sawing off. Papa falls as the branch comes off, but luckily he gets left hanging from another branch by the back of his overalls just before he hits the ground.

-->'''LetsPlay/{{Arglefumph}}:''' ''That'' doesn't seem like appropriate material [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids to put in a kids' book...]]

* {{Expy}}: In the early books, Papa, Mama, and Small Bear are obvious expies of ''Literature/TheThreeBears''. Downplayed when Sister is born and Small Bear becomes Brother, but the similarity is still sometimes alluded to: for example, the beginning of the cartoon adaptation of ''Get in a Fight'' shows the Bears having porridge for breakfast.

* Expy: In the early books, Papa, Mama, and Small Bear are obvious expies of ''Literature/TheThreeBears''. Downplayed when Sister is born and Small Bear becomes Brother, but the similarity is still sometimes alluded to: for example, the beginning of the cartoon adaptation of ''Get in a Fight'' shows the Bears having porridge for breakfast.

** ''Trouble With Friends'' sees Sister first meet and befriend Lizzie Bruin, only to get into a fight with her over who gets to be the teacher when they play school. In the end they make up, though, and stay best friends for the rest of the series.

* Expy: Papa

* FeudEpisode: ''Get In A Fight'' deals with Brother and Sister getting into a bitter argument with each other.

* ViewerPronunciationConfusion: Doubling as ViewerNameConfusion, many people think "Berenstain" (pronounced "bare-in-stayn") is pronounced "bare-in-steye-n" due to [[MandelaEffect false memories of the title being spelled like "Berenstein"]].

* ViewerPronunciationConfusion: Doubling as Viewer Name Confusion, many people think "Berenstain" (pronounced "bare-in-stayn") is pronounced "bare-in-steye-n" due to false memories of the title being spelled like "Berenstein".

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Very many secondary characters.