Deep In Bear Country - A Berenstain Bearcast
Phil Gonzales takes listeners on a chronological journey through the history of Bear Country.
Episodes
This week, I head outside—despite my deep hatred of bugs, gnats, and all things “outdoors”—to talk about The Bears’ Picnic, the third “I Can Read It All By Myself” book by Stan and Jan Berenstain. It’s a classic tale of a well-meaning family picnic gone hilariously wrong, with Papa Bear dragging the family across bear … Continue reading "Episode 486 – Berenstain Bears: The Bears’ P...
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It’s the 10th anniversary of Deep in Bear Country, so let’s reunite with longtime friends Brad Mariska and Jeremy Gloff to mark a decade of Berenstain Bear-loving chaos! Brad and Jeremy reflect on the origins of the show, the evolution of their collecting journeys, and the joys and… other joys of the Berenstain Bears fandom. … Continue reading "Episode 485 – 10th Anniversary ...
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In this week’s episode, I almost took a break again (thanks, cough!), but I’m here to bring you a quick Mother’s Day look at The Berenstain Bears: World’s Wisest Mama Bear — a 2024 gift book by Mike Berenstain. PLUS — exciting news! Next episode is the 10-year anniversary of the podcast, and I’ll be … Continue reading "Episode 484 – The Berenstain Bears: World’s Wisest ...
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April 25, 2025
Riding a bike? Never learned. Feeling like an outsider? Always. In this episode of Deep in Bear Country, I get personal — and a little philosophical — about why bike riding has always baffled me, and how The Berenstain Bears’ Bike Lesson accidentally became a warning about life, failure, and stubborn optimism. Plus: a weird … Continue reading "Episode 483 – The Berenstain BearsR...
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Gossip, Journalism, and Junior High Justice! This week on Deep In Bear Country, I am joined once again by the first-ever guest of the show, Mitzi — now a fully fledged junior high student with opinions and receipts. Together, we dive headfirst into one of the most wild Big Chapter Books in Berenstain history: “The … Continue reading "Episode 482 – REWIND The Berenstain Bears and th...
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Before they created the beloved Berenstain Bears, Stan and Jan Berenstain were drawing… THIS?! Tax-Wise: A Pictorial Romp Through the Tax Form (1952) is a bizarre, hyper-specific IRS humor book filled with visual gags, surreal scenarios, and more gendered 1950s weirdness than you can shake a W-2 at. In this episode, I (Phil Gonzales) walk … Continue reading "Episode 481 – Tax-Wise:...
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In this egg-cellent Easter episode, we’re cracking open The Berenstain Bears Meet the Easter Bunny (2022), a delightful early reader book that reimagines the 1980s classic Easter Surprise — but with updated illustrations, a softer tone, and the return of everyone’s favorite grumpy hare! But that’s not all! We dive DEEP into the strange, fascinating, … Continue reading "Episode 480 –...
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March 28, 2025
The Berenstain Bears finally meet real bears—and everything we thought we knew about Bear Country changes. This week, I break down “The Berenstain Bears: Here Come the Bears!”, a brand-new Level 1 reader that seems simple… but hides big implications about evolution, cultural identity, and the Berenstain multiverse.
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March 21, 2025
“We ate our honey. We ate a lot. Now we have no honey in our honey pot!” This week on Deep in Bear Country, we’re taking a nostalgic look back at The Big Honey Hunt (1963)—the very first Berenstain Bears book! Join me as I revisit this classic, explore its origins, and discuss how Stan … Continue reading "Episode 478 – The Big Honey Hunt (REVISITED!)"
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March 14, 2025
This week we’re diving deep into The Berenstain Bears’ St. Patrick’s Day—and wow, do we have a lot to unpack. Apparently, Ireland doesn’t exist in Bear Country?! This book raises so many questions, like: How does St. Patrick’s Day fit into the world of the Berenstain Bears? Why does Brother Bear have zero clue what … Continue reading "Episode 477 – The Berenstain Bears’ St. Patrick...
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Buckle up, Bear Country—this one’s a doozy. This week, we dive into The Berenstain Bears: God Made You Special, a book that on the surface has the best of intentions but stumbles hard into some serious pitfalls. What happens when a children’s book about faith and differences accidentally reinforces inspiration porn, infantilization, and outdated disability … Continue reading "Episode 476 ̵...
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February 28, 2025
“Love thy neighbor” sounds great—until your neighbors are literally the local drug dealers. Join me as we dive into The Berenstain Bears Love Their Neighbors, a book that asks us to embrace community… even if your neighbors were previously arrested for selling drugs to elementary school kids. This episode covers Bear Country’s ever-changing geography, the … Continue reading "...
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February 21, 2025
Did The Berenstain Bears’ New Neighbors really tackle racism? Or was it just another 90s attempt at a “message book” that missed the mark? In this episode of Deep in Bear Country, we take a deep dive into the 1994 classic that started it all—literally! This is the book that launched this podcast, but I’ve … Continue reading "Episode 474 – The Berenstain Bears’ New Neighbors!"
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February 14, 2025
The Berenstain Bears’ Biggest Continuity Shake-Up?! A new school year means new teachers, and Brother Bear is in for a surprise! In “The Berenstain Bears: We Love Our Teacher” (2024), we explore what makes a great teacher, the anxieties of moving up a grade, and—wait for it—some wild continuity-breaking moments in Bear Country history! Can … Continue reading "Episode 473 R...
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February 8, 2025
Mike Berenstain is BACK on the SHOW after having been away for TOO LONG. As always it’s a pleasure to catch up and check in and chat about Tintin. Enjoy!
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February 1, 2025
This week, the Bear Family gets into a bit of trouble in a completely believable and scientifically accurate way! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Blast Off!” and it’s steeped in believability! I swear!
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January 25, 2025
This week, I’m circling back to a book I skipped over for whatever reason and… wow, it’s a thoughtful piece of writing for kids. A surprisingly complex look at Culture of Violence Theory, it’s “The Berenstain Bears and No Guns Allowed!”
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January 18, 2025
1 – 2 – 3 – 4- 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10! 1 – 2 – 3 – 4- 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10! Numbers numbers, WOO! This is probably it. This is probably my worst episode. It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Numbers Book!”
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January 11, 2025
Why do rotten eggs smell like rotten eggs? How many different kinds of volcanoes are there?! WHAT IS THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY?!!! I. Don’t. Know. BUT. This week, “The Berenstain Bears’ Big School Project” at least pretends to attempt to answer those questions. Also, papier mache volcanoes: better than robots?
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January 4, 2025
New Year, Same Show. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Share and Share Alike!” and are you ready to start off 2025 with some ETHICAL QUESTIONS?! I hope so. I really hope so.
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