We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. Margaret K. McElderry Publishing, New York, 2009.
Hardcover edition, 40 pages, ISBN 978-1416987116.

     Hunting bears requires bravado. Rosen's intrepid family faces obstacles: tall, wavy grass ("Swishy, swashy!"), a deep, cold river ("Splash, splosh!"), thick, oozy mud ("Squelch, squerch!"). With the inevitable encounter, panic ensues, reversing the hazards of the outward journey. Oxenbury's simple black and white line drawings and light watercolors capture the high adventure experienced by the characters. This classic is most fun when chanted aloud using exaggerated movements for group dramatization.

Great for getting the wiggles out, ages 2-4.

Onomatopoeia increases phonological awareness, and an understanding of narrative skills is strengthened as the story moves forward and in reverse.

1989   Smarties Book Prize Gold Award  
1990   Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
1990   Horn Book Fanfare Title
1990   Society of School Librarians International Honor Book Award
1991   Japanese Picture Book Award