We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Citation :  Rosen, Michael. We’re going on a bear hunt. London : Walker Books, 1989.

Title : We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Author : Michael Rosen

 

This classic story by Michael Rosen features a family who go out on a bear hunt. They are at a beach and use their imagination to go through obstacles such as long wavy grass, thick mud, a forest and an unlikely snowstorm before they reach a large cave. In the cave they find the object of their search and run quickly back through the obstacles in a reverse order and back to the safety of “home”. The story is very repetitive with the words we’re going on a bear hunt we’re going to catch a big one, this will encourage children to say the words along with the reader and help them engage in the story and its meaning. The meaning is very simple, all about how it’s ok to use your imagination and go exploring. Also there is the message that it is ok to be scared of things you just need to know how to react when you get scared. The illustrations by Helen Oxenbury swap between a page of B&W illustrations to one in colour, showing the real world of the hunters in the B&W and the colour as their imaginations.  Author Michael Rosen has many video’s on his personal website of him acting out many of his stories – the main one being we’re Going on a Bear Hunt, these would be great to share with the family. Have a look at MichaelRosen.co.uk here.