The Berenstain Bears' Funny Valentine

Locations
Call Number: Kids Book / Holidays / Valentine's Day / Berenstain, Stan
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Pittsfield Branch, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Kids Holidays 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Holidays / Valentine's Day / Berenstain, Stan	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown Kids Holidays 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Holidays / Valentine's Day / Berenstain, Stan	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown Kids Holidays 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Holidays / Valentine's Day / Berenstain, Stan	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown Kids Holidays 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Holidays / Valentine's Day / Berenstain, Stan	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Holidays / Valentine's Day / Berenstain, Stan	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Storage Kids 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Holidays / Valentine's Day / Berenstain, Stan	4-week checkout	On Shelf

As Valentine's Day approaches, Sister hopes for more attention from one boy and less from another.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Summary / Annotation
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

The Moral Lesson Here Is...Not Great submitted by Meginator on June 13, 2023, 11:42pm This book mixes its moral messaging a bit, which is unusual in a series that usually has such a strong sense of ethical clarity. Sister Bear is worrying about Valentine’s Day, given that the cub she likes doesn’t pay much attention to her and another one is giving her plenty of attention but in the wrong ways. In a shocking (not really) twist, Sister’s story parallels her parents’, which is where the conflicting lessons come in. On one hand, it’s important to teach young readers that the people who actually value them may come from unexpected places, but on the other hand girls and women are frequently taught to accept and even encourage this kind of attention when, really, everyone is better served with kindness all around. None of the cub’s antics feel particularly cruel, and they may accurately reflect the kind of awkwardness that often accompanies young crushes, but I’m not sure this is the message we should be sending children of all genders about the ways to appropriately display affection. Add in the fact that Sister basically gets away with making fun of Brother for having (gasp!) friends who are girls, and the book’s ethics simply feel outdated and stale. It’s not overly harmful, but many books handle the holiday, and the related feelings, much more productively.