
The Berenstain Bears Bedtime Battle by Stan & Jan Berenstain was published in print for the first time in 1993. In this title Sister & Brother bear argue about bedtime with their parents, sluggishly picking up toys while whining about how unfair things are. Even when Father Bear tries to get the cubs to join in a race to pick up their room, the children are sullen and uncooperative.
In print, the title has received mixed reviews, including several on Amazon.com that point out that unlike many of the other Berenstain Bears' books, this one doesn't seem to have a clear moral. The young bears seem to win in the end, wearing their parents out rather than a typical ending where the whole family learns some sort of useful life lesson. I also noticed that this title has illustrations that look less polished than other Berenstain Bears books, although they are still quite nice.
Despite these criticisms, I have to admit that The Berenstain Bears Bedtime Battle is a very fun book that children & parents will identify with, possibly more than they would with a typical Berenstain Bears title. It was almost a relief to find out that those perfectly calm parents we usually see in Berenstain Bears stories can sometimes be irritable and less than successful getting their cubs to behave. While I love the usual fare of moral stories in the Berenstain library, this one was refreshingly realistic. The cubs even demand separate bedtime stories, forcing both mama & papa to read different books (that is before the parents fall asleep right there in the kids room).
Like the other digital Berenstain Bears books, this title is interactive in a way that enhances early reading skills. Most images (of the bears, their playthings, furniture, etc.), will name themselves aloud while the word briefly appears over the illustration. For example, touch Sister Bear and "Sister Bear" appears and is spoken aloud by the narrator. For young readers and pre-readers, the text also highlights as the word is spoken.
The Berenstain Bears books have been favorites of more than one generation of parents and children. Now, thanks to Oceanhouse Media, they have a new life in digital.
All reviews are of the app, not the platform/device. Based originally on iPad versions. Minor technical details may vary.
Author/Illustrator:
Stan and Jan Berenstain
Developer:
Oceanhouse Media, Inc.
Length (time):
10 - 12 Minutes
Based on non-digital book: Yes
Allows Own Narration:
No
Uses Motion: No
Age: 3 - 8 +
Languages:
English •
Length (pages):
65 Pages
Brother & Sister bear do not want to go to bed. They complain, beg, whine and even get their parents to do most of the cleaning up of their room. The family goes through all the usual steps of the bedtime routine including a bath, tooth-brushing, evening prayers and bedtime stories. The worn out parents try to keep up with their cubs but in the end, both Mama & Papa fall asleep while reading a story. The cubs slip into bed quietly, deciding that maybe their parents could use some rest.
Orientation: Landscape & Portrait
Format: Universal
Options:
Auto-play, Read to Me, Read Myself, News/Sound on/off, Links to: App Store, Web, Twitter, FB, Ema
App Release Date:
2011-08-02
Size: 17.159 MB
Version: 1.08
Lite Version Available: No