We were so fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with Mike Berenstain of The Berenstain Bears fame at this year’s BookExpo America.
We had to know, what was it like growing up with parents Stan and Jan? Mike said it was always a fun and creative environment. Holidays weren’t just holidays, but eventized to be spectacular. His parents started out by writing comics in various publications, when they soon realized that many authors weren’t writing about lessons and values.
Their stories soon got the attention of Mr. Geise (aka Dr. Seuss) who quickly started collaborating with them under his Beginner Books imprint. The Berenstain’s first published book was in 1962 under the series “The Berenstain Bears,” a name that Mr. Geise actually coined. The thought process was that the Berenstains’ wanted to use an animal that was easy to draw that had human-like qualities, and Mr. Geise thought it would be a great way to brand them.
Mike vividly remembers his parents tirelessly working in the studio which was attached to their house. He said they would storyboard the entire studio with the next book, and sometimes overnight the story was transformed from rough sketches to real artwork.
He jumped into the process on the book “Ready, Set, Go” which launched his career as officially part of the creative team. Since then, Mike continues illustrating the Berenstain Bears series with his mother following his father’s death in 2005, and took over creation of the series after Jan’s death in 2012.
Mike also authors several stories on his own, including the upcoming “God Bless Our Country” book featuring a community parade in Bear Country.
Up next is “Harvest Festival” about giving thanks for the blessings of farm and table – due out end of summer. After that, expect “Under the Sea” – a visit to the Bear Country aquarium and a chance to see the creatures in their natural habitat under the sea!
Mike’s advice for budding authors and illustrators? He encourages students to go to school and get the basics in writing and creative writing. He says to work on your craft and take lots of painting and illustration classes.
Advice for their parents? Just encourage them and be aware of their potential.
For more about Mike and the Berenstain Bears, check out their website here.
