50 years along, Berenstain Bears a family affair

SOLEBURY, Pa. — Nearly 50 years after the Berenstain Bears first charmed preschoolers and their parents, the family behind the books remains close to their Bear Country roots.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of the first Berenstain Bears book. The gentle stories are inspired by the Berenstain family — first from the children and now the grandchildren.

Stan and Jan Berenstain created hundreds of books until Stan Berenstain's death in 2005. Their son Mike collaborates with his mother on new books.

Mike Berenstain says they are "relentlessly focused on the family relationship."

The bears can also be found online, in toys, computer games, TV shows and an iPhone app. A movie is in the script phase and has a tentative release date of 2012.