"When Mama Bear's efforts to improve her family's manners areunsuccessful, she devises a Politeness Plan--a chart listing achore as a penalty for each act of rudeness. Basic etiquette ispresented in a practical way. Berenstain illustrations add humorand understanding."--"School Library Journal."

　　Stan and Jan Berenstain were both born in 1923 inPhiladelphia. They didn't know each other as children, but metlater at school, at the Philadelphia College of Art. They likedeach other right away, and found out that the both enjoyed the samekinds of books, plays, music and art. During World War II, Stan wasa medical assistant in the Army, and Jan worked in an airplanefactory. When the war was over, they got married and began to worktogether as artists and writers, primarily drawing cartoons forpopular magazines. After having their two sons Leo and Michael, theBerenstains decided to write some funny children's books that theirchildren and other children could read and enjoy. Their firstpublished children's book was called The Big Honey Hunt . It wasabout a family of bears, who later became known as the "BerenstainBears".
Over 50 children's books later, Stan and Jan still plan all oftheir books together -- both write the stories, and both write thepictures. They live outside of Philadelphia in the country.