A firm favourite among children under the age of seven (and if i'm honest with older children and adults too). Michael Rosen's poetry and stories have captured children's imaginations for years and has helped a generation of children read for pleasure.

If you have a child boy or girl who is between the ages of 0 and 7 and are what is called a 'reluctant reader' then this is definitely the book that will get your whole family reading, singing and even acting together.
Reading is in the headlines a lot at the moment with Michael Gove pushing phonics and phonics testing as he thinks this is the way to get all children reading. I'm not saying that phonics isn't a good way of supporting children to decode words because that's exactly what phonics does it helps children decode but it does not instill a love of reading that only good books can and this is exactly what this book does. We're Going On A Bear Hunt is the type of book that can inspire children.

The book is a rhyming book, with repetitive phrases that allows children to quickly join in even on the first read. Children will very quickly know the book off by heart and will be reading it with expression and acting it out anytime they are walking through a wooded area or splashing through a puddle. These are all skills needed to progress and improve as a reader. Don't stop after reading this book with your child, spend time making up your own versus for the text and sharing these together.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt tells the story of a family looking for a bear and going through a range of scenes which cause difficulties. Then their reaction when they finally find a bear.

If you are unsure of how to read this text and do it justice, you can youtube Michael Rosen reading (well more acting out) this text and I'm sure it will inspire you to read it again.

This is one of many books every family MUST have in their collection for bedtime reading, if they want their child to become a confident reader. A lovely book that will be remembered by children through out their lives and I'm sure a book they will cherish and read to their own children.