Deep In Bear Country - A Berenstain Bearcast

Mar 07 2025 497 ep. 318

Deep In Bear Country - A Berenstain Bearcast Podcast artwork

Phil Gonzales takes listeners on a chronological journey through the history of Bear Country.

Arts Kids & Family Comedy

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Episode 476 – The Berenstain Bears: God Made You Special

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when a children’s book about faith and differences accidentally reinforces inspiration porn, infantilization, and outdated disability … Continue re

Episode 475 – The Berenstain Bears Love Their Neighbors!

“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 R

Episode 474 – The Berenstain Bears’ New Neighbors!

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&

Episode 473 – The Berenstain Bears We Love Our Teacher!

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 rea

Episode 472 – A Conversation with Mike Berenstain!

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!

Episode 471 – The Berenstain Bears Blast Off!

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!

Episode 470 – The Berenstain Bears and No Guns Allowed!

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!”

Episode 469 – The Berenstain Bears’ Numbers Book

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!”

Episode 468 – The Berenstain Bears’ Big School Project

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?

Episode 467 – The Berenstain Bears Share & Share Alike!

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.