The Berenstain Bears and the Papa’s Day Surprise

Stan and Jan Berenstain's The Berenstain Bears and the Papa's Day Surprise is a warm family story for 5 year olds about a papa who insists he doesn't want any fuss on Father's Day.

What happens

Papa Bear has an opinion about everything. The best way to chop down a tree. The best kind of honey. And Father's Day, which in his opinion is a lot of nonsense.

So Mama and the cubs agree. No fuss.

Then things start to look a bit suspicious. Brother and Sister are caught sneaking paper out of Papa's workshop for a school project. Mama has a secret phone call. The cubs are supposedly round at Cousin Fred's working on something big.

And slowly, Papa starts to change his mind. Would it really be so bad if they made a little fuss? He even checks the drawers and cupboards for hidden presents (there aren't any).

Little ones will love being in on it. It's pretty obvious to a young listener that something's being planned, and poor Papa is the last to know. Every time he gets his hopes up, they're knocked flat again, like when the smell of his favourite breakfast turns out to be a gift for the new neighbours!

A daddy robin pops up all the way through, busy with his nest and eggs, and Papa keeps chatting to him, which is rather cute.

When the surprise finally comes, it's a big one, with a whole stage full of papas and a poem from the cubs that makes Papa's eyes go misty. Who doesn't love a grown-up getting a bit emotional?

It's a good one to save for Father's Day, or for any child who's ever tried very hard to keep a secret. It also has a gentle message that it's nice to be thought of, even when you said you didn't mind.

What to read next

It has a twin in the Mama's Day surprise, where Mama knows exactly what Papa and the cubs are planning and quietly makes sure they've got everything they need.