The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight (Berenstain Bears (… (2025)

This story could be about me and my brother growing up or my niece and nephew. I will say that my niece and nephew spend more time fighting than they do getting along, or that's how it feels to me anyway.

It's nice that Brother and Sister bear get along most days, but I think most of the time there is squabbling. Living together is tough and it takes a lot to learn to do that well.

I thought this was a good book. Not a lot here, but I like how they used the weather to enhance the fight between the cubs. It was a fierce thunderstorm as was the battle between then. I appreciate that.

These books are too young for the Niece and the nephew. The Niece is going to let me borrow a graphic novel she likes and I can review that and tell you what she thinks too. I think an 80s Berenstain bears story is still some good stuff. I love thinking of living inside a tree.

We love the Berenstain Bears at my house, and this is a great book with examples on how to treat others, as well as why we sometimes get in fights with family members and friends, plus how to resolve conflict.

Although I didn't like to see Brother Bear and Sister Bear fight in the beginning of the story, I did enjoy the lesson that they learned.

And I enjoyed the comparison of a fight being like a storm and knowing that storms always pass. Very cute!

Jack: (cracking up) This is HILARIOUS! Look, the Mom gets so upset she whistles with her fingers and her eyes cross! Ha ha ha!

me: Is that your favorite part?

Jack: I think the best part is when the neighbors didn’t know which was worse (he reads from the book) “the big storm or the racket coming from the bears’ house.” Ha ha haaaaa!

me: Do you think other kids would like this book?

Jack: Of course! Didn’t you hear me say it was funny? Kids love funny books. But there are a few bad words in here.

me: No!

Jack: Can I tell you them?

me: Okay, just this once.

Jack: They say “shut up” (he looks over at me quickly) and then they say “dopey”. Is that REAL bad??

me: It’s not nice, but I’ve heard worse.

Jack: Like what??

me: Never mind.

Jack: If I had a sister I wouldn’t fight. I’m a very good sharer.

me: Does this book teach any lessons?

Jack: Yeah, you shouldn’t fight. But if you do, you should say sorry.

me: Good lesson. That goes for everyone, not just brothers and sisters. (I look at him pointedly, remembering his fight with me earlier)

Jack: I know I know, I said I’m sorry.

me: Okay. Thanks. How come you didn’t want me to read this book to you?

Jack: Because I can read it by myself much faster. You take too long.

me: Oh.

Jack: But anyone that reads this book should turn it over and buy all the other books they show on the back.

me: Good marketing.

Jack: I know.

If you have multiple little ones at home, this certainly is a topic you have had to cover or will have to cover soon … probably on a daily basis. Brother and Sister, who normally get along so well, are having a bad day. One thing led to another and before they know it they are in the midst of an all-out-not-talking-to-each other fight. The bad day turns into a string of bad days, to the point that they don’t even remember what they were fighting about. Though this is not our kiddos favorite in the series, it does a very good job of addressing sibling fights. It explains that it is just part of living with people, even those you care about deeply, but also talks about how to resolve them well. If you are looking for a book that might shine a little light on how to end the common kind of argument/fight brothers and sisters can get into, I highly recommend Get in a Fight.

I found this book wholly unsatisfying while reading it with my 5 year old nephew, who coincidentally has a baby sister.

The premise is easy to understand. Brother and sister get into a fight without any reason. Father is useless in resolving the fight and it is up to Mother to spout some nonsense about fighting and then pointing to a rainbow afterwards. Somehow reader is led to believe everything will be okay until the next fight.

If I am confused by the moral, imagine my nephew. Actually he preferred the other book we read which involved racing trains. Mmm...sometimes the best judge of a children's book is an actual child.

My love of reading started when i was young, and it gives me immense pleasure to provide books to Spread the Word Nevada, an organization that passes them on to children in the community. They are a terrific organization supporting an important cause. If your local I encourage you to check them out. For those living further a field, look in your own community, their may already be a similar program in place. And if not, you can always help start one.

http://spreadthewordnevada.org/

Myself, I go out on the weekends and
shop thrift store and bulk book lots to rescue books and donate them. Sometimes I'll find a book I remember reading when I was young and will read it again before passing it on.

I don't rate these books using my normal scale, instead I give most of them three stars. This isn't a Criticism of the book, simply my way of rating them as good for children.

When two small bears
Don't get along,
The grownups worry--
What went wrong?

Brother and Sister get into a fight. It starts with something silly and brews into a huge fight. Papa gets drawn into it and only Mama keeps a cool head.

This book doesn't address, like, at all, that there are productive ways of arguing or how to manage emotions or that you can't just call people names and then everything's okay because rainbows. I feel like there's a lot of be taught here but this book addresses none of it.

I have mixed feelings about this book. At least it is shown that arguing once in a while is normal, but this was one of these books that was just a little too saccharine for my tastes.

Hi

The bird woke the kids up. Brother and sister went on the bus and had lunch together. Sister put her feet in the brother's face and he said no and they argued. He was mad and she was not happy. They argued and she went to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, hair and soaked her face. They didn't sit together on the bus - he was on the back and she was on the front. They sat in the rain. She took all his dinosaurs and she rolled them. He put all the toys up. Their Papa yelled at them. The Mom whistles telling them to stop and 'no arguments everyone'. The sun came out and a beautiful rainbow comes out. The end.

Brother wakes up grumpy one morning for no particular reason and takes it out on Sister, which initiates them being pissed at each other until Mama Bear points out that they don't even know what they're fighting about, and then the fight is over. This story didn't do too much for me in that I don't know what my takeaway should be from this. That's it's okay and normal to fight? But what about when it isn't? I guess Brother and Sister making up for no reason makes sense because they fought for no reason, but what about fights that start with an actual purpose? What about fighting fairly or constructively? Perhaps that's too complex to get into.

My sons fight and I was an only child, and I freak out sometimes when they fight. I've gotten much better at tolerating their fights, but that's not the same thing as having a dialogue about the fighting. It's hard to get a book that isn't too preachy or moralistic. This book has the mother as the one who saves them. Fighting is likened to a storm, it eventually ends, and sometimes a rainbow comes up, like getting along together again. I liked it, and my son asked to read it again right after I finished reading it.

I read this and other Berenstain books repeatedly as a child. I enjoyed them then. I'm not putting stars on these partly b/c I feel I'd need to look at them again to see what I'd rate them now, and I don't have them available (which in itself tells you they aren't big favorites I guess). In adulthood, I still like some things about these books, other things not so much. One of the bigger things I don't care for is that they often seem to make Papa Bear out to be rather foolish, while Mama is usually the wise one. I think that's worth discussing as these books are read w/a child, at least.

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction
Grade Level: 2-3

I love the Berenstain Bears books and TV show as a child. Reading this book brought back some good memories. The Berenstain Bears: Get in a Fight is very relatable for kids, especially with siblings. It shows that sometimes families don't always get along and even when you are mad at the end of the day you love your family. This book would be great for siblings who don't always get along to show them that arguing happens even to brother and sister bear.

I loved these books as a kid and now that my children have them, I've slowly been re-reading them. This one is a cute story; I like that it shows that arguments are a normal part of life but I felt that they could have done a better job explaining how to handle arguments. The book sorta makes it sound like you fight with someone and then everything is magically great again, which is typically not the case in real life.

Isn't it something how easily a grumpy day begins? Here we find Brother Bear and Sister Bear in a fight that affects not only their own relationship, but the moods of those around them (which is a great reminder by the way!) While it felt like the fight resolved very quickly, the important aspects of conflict resolution are brought up, and for the age group, maybe it's good to train a child to deal with things like anger quickly.

Nice way of explaining that family doesn't always get along, especially the ones we live with. But if we can weather the storm, move on and forgive we are rewarded with a beautiful rainbow... or at least feel better toward one another. Stan and Jan Berenstain write books that are a must read for every parent and child.

Genre: Modern Fantasy
Grade: 2nd-3rd
Good lesson on fights and arguements for close friends and, or sibling, but not to useful for arguments between two people who are not friends in the first place. it has its uses in a classroom.

I read this to my second graders today to begin a conversation about how to be a good friend and what to do if you fight with a friend. It was good for that purpose. However I didn’t like that they said “shut up” and it got a few gasps out of my students because of it.

I enjoyed this book because I like play-fighting. I also enjoyed this book because I like treehouses.

Occasional argument is part of living together. You get a beautiful rainbow after a storm. Let’s remember that.

This was a good book to read to my grandchildren as it was to my children when they were small. The authors tackled this subject in a respectful way.

Lessons

childhood nostalgia

This is a story that shows siblings fight and that's okay. But that it is silly to keep fighting when you don't even remember what started the fight in the first place.

Unfortunate to see “dopey” and “shut up” but otherwise very good.

4/5
Modern fantasy- bibliotherapy
Pre-k - 2nd grade
I would have this book on my classroom book shelf because it shows children relation to something they may be experiencing!
I know growing up and reading, finding books I related to made the reading more fun, and knowing the outcomes helped me in my own personal situations!
When the two bears argue over literally nothing at all, it shows a conflict and towards the end when momma bear steps in it shows her motherly instincts to talk and explain to her children what arguing is and how to resolve it!
I would read this book in my classroom if I was doing a lesson on conflict and resolution.

The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight is a great book to read to young children to teach them about fighting with family members. This book also shows how people should treat others. Because a big lesson that children need to learn is how to get along and resolve problems, this is a great book to use as a reference or example. Furthermore, the illustrations are very detailed to help children understand what is happening throughout the book.