Review of "The Berenstain Bears Keep the Faith"

Today I have a review of The Berenstain Bears Keep the Faith, a new book by Mike Berenstain, the son of Jan and Stan Berenstain. I am so happy with the new Berenstain Bear books which are part of the Living Lights series by Zonderkidz. God is honored in these books. 🙂 And Papa Bear isn’t the dolt that he was portrayed often in the older books.

In The Berenstain Bears Keep the Faith Brother and Sister Bear find out that their science-loving friend Ferdy Factual doesn’t believe God created the world. It’s the first time Brother and Sister encounter someone who thinks that you can’t believe in or trust God if you are a scientist. Brother and Sister love science, too. They love to learn about dinosaurs and fossils, to look at the stars with a telescope, and to look through a microscope at germs. But when they are looking at the moon through a telescope with Ferdy, Sister mentions that God did a good job. Ferdy tell them that not only does he not believe that God created everything, he doesn’t even believe in God. He only believes in things he can see and test and prove.

The bears talked to their parents about it. Mama tells them that they have to have faith. Now that’s a hard concept for young kids to understand! So, the next day they go to visit Preacher Brown to see if he can expain it better. They learn that faith comes from reading the Bible, feeling God’s love for us, and in seeing the beauty of God’s creation. Preacher Brown also tells them that Daniel in the Bible had faith that God would save him from the lions. Faith in God is trusting in his love. Brother and Sister Bear decide at the end of the story that faith in God is important to them.

I love how this book shows that you can be a “scientist” and have faith in God at the same time.