Pallenberg Wonder Bears: From the Beginning
"Pallenberg Wonder Bears – From the Beginning", was first published in 2022 by BearManor Media, with an updated edition sporting a new cover in 2025. The book is an historical biography, which follows members of a Cologne, Germany family from the mid- 1800s to the present, profiling those who immigrated to the United States and those who did not. Joseph was an animal anatomist and renowned sculptor. Christian was an engineer who patented his inventions and eventually worked in the Detroit auto industry. And Emil (1888-1963) trained acrobatic bears, eventually headlining in Vaudeville and Ringling owned circuses.
Considered to have been the greatest bear trainer of his time, Emil Pallenberg taught by example, as well as by using his gentle voice and hand signals. In 1908 he became the first person to teach a bear to ride a bicycle and later taught his bruins to roller skate, play musical instruments and walk the tight rope. Pallenberg bears appeared in three major motion pictures, including one performing as “Carmichael” in a movie starring Jack Benny, while another was on Broadway for over a year in a 1932 Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein Musical. Yet when Emil and his Wonder Bears were not performing, they all lived harmoniously in the little shoreline town of Clinton, Connecticut.
The book, written by Peggy Adler, incorporates never-before seen Pallenberg family archival photographs; vaudeville and circus contracts; as well as Emil Pallenberg’s hand written memories, all provided by Adler’s indispensable collaborator, the Pallenberg’s granddaughter, Dibirma Jean Burnham. The books’ physical format is 8.5” x 11”; is 206 pages; and has 142 photographs and documents.
According to Justin Race, Director of Purdue University Press, “Pallenberg Wonder Bears – From the Beginning” is a captivating narrative you couldn’t have dreamed up, but won’t want to put down. I’ve been in publishing for a long time and at this point it takes something really unique to raise my eyebrows -- and this story certainly did, from the very first page.”