Mx and Ms both enjoyed this seasonal book. Lesson about being a good looser and being thankful even when things don't go your way.

5 copies

One of those Berenstain Bears books where Papa Bear acts like a jerk -- this time he goes overboard trying to beat Farmer Ben in a pumpkin contest -- and Mama Bear comes off all self-righteous as she looks askance at his behavior. Not my favorite formula. ( )

Papa Bear, Brother Bear and Sister Bear get a little carried away in their desire to see their pumpkin, 'The Giant,' win first prize at the upcoming Thanksgiving Festival. Mama Bear tries to remind them that Thanksgiving is about being thankful, but her family is too busy sneaking into Farmer Ben's pumpkin patch, in order to spy on the competition, to listen. When 'The Giant' only wins third place however, they do their best to accept the result graciously, and walking home through their beautiful country, they realize that Mama was right...

I recall reading a number of books in the Berenstain Bears series as a child - The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree stands out in my memory - but The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin was not one of them, being published some time after I had moved on to other books. It's a cute story, following the standard formula of these books (as I remember them, anyhow), offering a story in which the Bear Family learns a lesson. This time, that lesson is about Thanksgiving and (one presumes) not becoming so insanely competitive that it takes over your life. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for Thanksgiving stories, or for stories about having a healthy approach to competition. ( )

the bears enter a contest to see which pumpkin is the biggest. the bears only won 3rd place but they had a lot of fun.
1 book