Bright & Early Books Books

Stan Berenstain and his wife, Jan, were already successful cartoonists for magazines and adult humor books when they began writing children’s books. The first story starring the bear family, The Big Honey Hunt, appeared in 1962. Since then, more than 300 Berenstain Bears books have been published and more than 260 million copies have been sold. What began as an idea sparked by their young sons’ love of reading has become over the years arguably the best-selling children’s book series ever. Since their inception, the Berenstain Bears stories have expanded to include picture books, beginning readers, and chapter books—even a hit TV show on PBS. Writing and illustrating the books has become a Berenstain family affair. Mike joined with his parents as a creative team in the late 1980s. The Bear family has expanded over the years as well. Sister Bear arrived in 1974, and baby Honey joined the family in 2000.

Stan and Jan Berenstain were already successful cartoonists for magazines and adult humor books when they began writing children’s books. The first story starring the bear family, The Big Honey Hunt, appeared in 1962. Since then, more than 360 Berenstain Bears books have been published, and more than 300 million copies have been sold. What began as an idea sparked by their young sons’ love of reading has become one of the best-selling children’s book series ever!

THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL–aka Dr. Seuss–is one of the most beloved children’s book authors of all time. From The Cat in the Hat to Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, his iconic characters, stories, and art style have been a lasting influence on generations of children and adults. The books he wrote and illustrated under the name Dr. Seuss (and others that he wrote but did not illustrate, including some under the pseudonyms Theo. LeSieg and Rosetta Stone) have been translated into thirty languages. Hundreds of millions of copies have found their way into homes and hearts around the world. Dr. Seuss’s long list of awards includes Caldecott Honors for McElligot’s Pool, If I Ran the Zoo, and Bartholomew and the Oobleck, the Pulitzer Prize, and eight honorary doctorates. Works based on his original stories have won three Oscars, three Emmys, three Grammys, and a Peabody.

Joe Mathieu has illustrated countless books for children, including Big Frank’s Fire Truck, Sesame Street titles, books in the Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library series, and many more.