We're Going on a Bear Hunt (Take Two)

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Rating: 5 stars

Almost three years ago (!) I blogged about We're Going on a Bear Hunt--and I'm sure anyone reading this is familiar with the book and loves it as much as we do.

An hour ago I was mentally counting the minutes until bedtime.  I'm sure you've never been there.  You're probably a more patient parent than I am.  It was that time of day when they are fed but tired, energetic but unfocused.  And I was ready for bedtime--theirs, that is.  We've had a full day of hiking with Grammy and a nice quiet time and good meals...I've been a good mom today.  But...how many minutes left?

I was checking my Facebook for distraction from my countdown and came across this: 100 Ways to be Kind to Your Child.  Hmm.  I clicked on it and immediately loved it.  It's a long list of little things that have a big impact (in case you're wondering, checking your Facebook is not on the list), and they are great ideas to sprinkle into your daily routine.

Like #47--Read a book and then act it out, like We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

What a fantastic idea!  I told the kids what we were going to do.  Ben quickly volunteered to be the bear.  Lorelei and I started in the playroom, and swish-swashed, squelch-squirched, stumble-tripped, tip-toed our way to him at the front door.  When we got there, to the grinning, growling Ben, we said "One shiny wet nose?" and touched his nose.  "Two big furry ears?"  And touched his ears.  "Two big goggly eyes?"  And touched his eyebrows.  "It's a bear!" and then ran screaming, and he ran after us growling and laughing.

Fun!  Lorelei took a turn being the bear, but I think everyone's favorite was when Kiefer and I were bears--we chased them for about ten minutes through the house, finding the bigger kids in every hiding place they could find, and laughing wildly.  The best thing for them: running through the house screaming, being chased by Mommy-the-bear.  The best thing for me: crazy but channeled fun, an activity long enough to sustain us until bedtime.

I had to pass along the list and the idea and the laugh...just in case you find yourself in need of a 15 minute activity during your hardest part of your day.

Now I'm wondering what other books I can do this with...  Any ideas for me?

Charley's First Night by Amy Hest

 Charley's First Night by Amy Hest, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Rating: 4 stars

Warning: DO NOT buy this book if you've got puppy fever.  It will push you over the edge, and before you know it you'll have a wiggly, wobbly puppy traipsing all over your house.  Wait, is that a bad thing?

The story is just okay for me: A little boy gets a new puppy, names him Charley, and shows him around his new house. The boy's parents are very clear as to who will walk and feed the dog: the boy.  And they are clear as to where the puppy will sleep: the kitchen.

The pictures are way beyond okay for me: Charley the puppy trots along behind the boy, he carries the puppy around in a blanket, they gaze into each other's eyes on a big bean bag chair.  We are privileged to witness, thanks to the sweet illustrations of Helen Oxenbury (oh she is so wonderful!), a boy fall in love with his dog.  The last page shows the little boy clearly breaking his parents' clear instructions on where Charley should sleep.  After the boy hears Charley sadly crying in the kitchen, the two curl up in the boy's big bed, both happy as can be.

The book is very, very cute, and takes me back to second grade.  Our family got our first dog, a Golden Retriever my dad named Darby.  Darby had long hair with ears that looked crimped, a goofy little smile, and the softest coat in the world.  And the smell--I can remember her puppy smell to this day.  Our family already has two big dogs, so there won't be any puppies for us any time soon.  But I can't wait to get one--and watch Lorelei, Ben, and Kiefer fall in love with it...

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Rating: 5 huge stars

This book has it all--a fun tale, repetition, onomatopoeias, and good pictures. It also has lots of loot that are often sold with the book, so I guess you know that a book is a great one if there is more stuff attached to it... This is one of the first books we bought when I was pregnant with Lorelei; I can't believe that that original is still in-tact, and often in Ben's bed with him.

I love that it is wonderful for girls and boys, and love that after each black and white illustrated page of "We're going on a bear hunt, we're going to catch a big one, etc" there's a beautiful color page with an onomatopoeia on it: "Swishy, swashy, swishy, swashy" for the tall grass, "Hoooooooo wooooooo, hoooooooo wooooooo" for the snowstorm, for example. I always did the same thing with Lorelei, then with Ben: I'd make my rocker rock crazily for the swishy-swashy and blow in her/his hair during the snowstorm and stuff like that. (I've been known to not be as calming as I perhaps should be during bedtime, but luckily I now have kids who can put themselves to sleep. I think my job is to just get them happy at the end of the day, and then they read by themselves for 5-30 minutes before falling asleep.)

I do wonder every time I read this book why the bear walks home along the beach? Where is this story located where you can go from grass-filled hillside to snowstorm, to deep forest to...beach?! Please let me know, because I'd like to move there.