Jan Berenstain, the co-creator of the Berenstain Bears, which is a line of children’s books, has died at the age of 88. Her son, Mike Berenstain, reported that his mother suffered a severe stroke on Thursday and died on Friday without regaining consciousness. Stan Berenstain, her husband and the other co-creator of the successful children’s books, died in 2005 of lymphoma at the age of 82.
Mrs. Berenstain and her husband met in art school in 1941. The pair wrote and illustrated the popular stories featuring Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Brother Bear, and Sister Bear. The Berenstains got their inspiration for their tales from their children and grand children. The stories offered guidance to children on subjects including peer pressure, dentist visits, a new sibling, summer camp, and much more. The first Berenstain Bears book titled “The Big Honey Hunt” was published in 1962 and more than 300 titles in 23 languages have been released since then. The books were transformed into televised specials and daily shows on PBS, children’s museums have displayed Berenstain Bear exhibits, four stage productions based on the characters in the books have been shown, and hundreds of millions of copies of the books have been sold.
