The Berenstain Bears and the Nutcracker

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!

Stan and Jan Berenstain introduced the first Berenstain Bears books in 1962. Mike Berenstain grew up watching his parents work together to write about and draw these lovable bears. Eventually he started drawing and writing about them too. Though Stan died in 2005 and Jan in 2012, Mike continues to create the delightful Bear adventures from his studio in Pennsylvania, in an area that looks much like the sunny dirt road deep in Bear Country.