We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

Come Along – Learn and Have Fun

I was recently reminded of the classic story We’re Going on a Bear Hunt seeing a 4-year-old leaving a local bookstore with the book clutched in her hand and a big smile on her face. This prompted me to reread this fun early family ‘drama’ adventure that takes place on the sweeping British landscape. I’ve shared it many times with children along with a big stuffed brown bear as a prop. But it has expanded into many Bear Hunt partner books.

The original rhyming British book continues to engage children and adults with—

Its plans: ‘We’re going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch a big one.’
Its declarative: ‘What a beautiful day!’ ‘We’re not scared!’
Its visuals: ‘long, wavy grass, going swishy, swashy.’
Its places we go: ‘river, mud, forest, snowstorm, cave, home.’
Its refrains: ‘Oh-oh! We can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. Oh, no! We’ve got to go
through it!’ ‘We’re not scared!’
Its actions: ‘Tiptoe! Tiptoe! Stumble trip! Under the covers!’
Its sounds: ‘Hooooo wooooo!’ ‘Splish! Splosh!’ ‘Squelch Splash’

What about the bear? What is his story? Might he want to see you again? Go with you? Maybe he wants some new friends? His face looks friendly enough. I’m always hoping he has his own family somewhere.

This first Bear Hunt book has grown into 12 additional fun resource books for families. A veritable industry with the British publisher Walker Books Group.

• Now there is an interactive baby board book: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Pull, Slide, and Play. And a Shapes book; a tabbed My First Words Book of garden vocabulary; a Let’s Go Outside book filled with ‘outside’ words. (Ages 0-3)
• For early math, share the rhyming board book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt My First 1 2 3. Find animals in the woods on a walk with the family dog—ducklings, lady bugs, butterflies and more. Finger trace the indented numbers by following the directional arrows. Read nouns, adjectives adverbs. And then the ABC Bear Hunt book. Even a Sticker Book. (Ages 3-5)
• An Adventure Field Guide for the older children and parents. Brilliant information while going on a nature walk in the woods or forest. This guide book is filled with observation suggestions in the great outdoors. The Glossary is a bonus. Next get the ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Journal’ to record what you’ve discovered. (Ages 6-9)
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt Let’s Discover Birds is a nature book for younger children (Ages 5-9). Learn where birds live, their names, and jump into the suggested activities. Even matching sticker pages and bird calls. Then enjoy the Let’s Discover Bugs book.
• Put on a play using ‘All Join in Story Plays We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ by Vivian French. Colored speaking lines for 4 people to perform and some lines for everyone at once. (Ages 5-7) I’m hoping this book will be reprinted (along with other plays they have written).

Surely you’ll go on another story-reading-bear-hunt and you’ll be reciting many lines from this family walk. Or make up your own light-drama-family-walk story. A very satisfying story.