(FOXNEWS) — Jan Berenstain, who with her husband Stan wrote and illustrated the Berenstain Bears books that have charmed preschoolers and their parents for 50 years, has died. She was 88.
Berenstain, a longtime resident of Solebury in southeastern Pennsylvania, suffered a severe stroke on Thursday and died Friday without regaining consciousness, her son Mike Berenstain said.
The gentle stories of Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Brother Bear and Sister Bear, were inspired by the Berenstain family. The stories addressed children's common concerns and aimed to offer guidance with coping with dentist visits, peer pressure, a new sibling or summer camp.
The first Berenstain Bears book, "The Big Honey Hunt," was published in 1962. Over the years, more than 300 titles have been released in 23 languages - most recently in Arabic and Icelandic - and have become a rite of passage for generations of young readers.