The Anthology of Stingy Bear’s Adventures

Edward C. Whisenant
AuthorHouse (2009)
ISBN 9781425955939
Reviewed by Victoria Gonzales for Reader Views (12/09)


This is a cute book.  The author, Edward C. Whisenant, believes this story is appropriate for readers aged 10 to 110, and would be a valuable teaching tool for those who home school. I disagree; I think these stories are a little too negative and dark for children. Obviously a lot of the things would go over their heads, “Playbear Magazine” for one, but the author suggests that some parts of the stories can be omitted. I think that this book is very good for what it is - a collection of humorous short stories that make commentary on American life today, both the lives of children and adults. But I do not recommend reading it to your children, unless you read it yourself first and select a few that you believe are appropriate.

The author Whisenant makes no qualms about telling you exactly what he believes is wrong with society and gives suggestions on how to fix it, and he does so in a very accessible, humorous way. Sometimes it gets a little redundant; there are over fifty stories here and some of them have the same or similar “lessons,” but this book is very good in small doses. I suggest not reading it all at once like a novel, though it does function as a novel of vignettes if you would like to read it that way. You will laugh out loud reading this book, and you might feel a little guilty at the same time if you are at all like Stingy Bear! Stingy Bear is a very greedy bear, and his antics to try to procure wealth for himself in the form of toys, money, and besting other children are highly entertaining. Whisenant is a good writer, very good with wit, puns, and sarcasm and this is a very enjoyable book overall. The section on Stingy Bear’s Christmas capers may ring true for a lot of children and their parents, and will hopefully teach readers about not forgetting the true meaning of this joyous holiday. This book would make a very good gift for parents and grandparents. Everyone can identify with one of the characters in “The Anthology of Stingy Bear’s Adventures.”

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