We're Going on a Bear Hunt: A Realistic Fiction

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is a retelling, done by Michael Rosen, of one of the most popular children’s stories. It is a book about a family who goes on a bear hunt but encounters many obstacles. They have to devise a plan to overcome these obstacles and they do it together as a family. They go through a mud, a forest and even a snow storm to get to their end goal. They eventually find this scary bear and have to race back to their house to find safety. Do they make it back to their cozy bed or are they trapped by the bear? Read the story and find out!

The most amazing thing about this book is the illustrations that go along with the story. It is easy to tell this story to children but incorporating the pictures that Helen Oxenbury created is icing on the cake. She uses fine lines and light coloring to make the book inviting and safe to readers. Once the family reaches the cave the colors turn to a dark brown, giving goosebumps to the audience. The other interesting feature is her use of black and white while the family decides what their next course of action should be. As soon as they decide what to do the color is back on while they are “swishing through tall grass” or “Squelching through the mud.” This book is excellent for children 2-5 because the repetitive nature of the text allows them to follow along, but every reader will truly enjoy what this book has to offer.

Rosen, Michael. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2003.