Fuse 8 n’ Kate: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, ill. Helen Oxenbury

To help out families stuck in their homes with small children, people have been creating videos of people reading picture books. And WHAT, I ask you, is a better readaloud than this storytime classic? Nothing, I tells ya! Nothing! Kate gets introduced to Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury for the very first time. Imagine showing someone who has never seen this story performed for small children encountering this book without that bit of context. We spend a bit of time considering the bear’s motives here. Maybe the bear has come out of hibernation is starving. Maybe it’s lonely. And maybe this is just a great book through and through. Maybe.

Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, PlayerFM, or your preferred method of podcast selection.

Show Notes:

You probably won’t be able to read it in full but here is the 2014 Telegraph article about the book, but it’s there in case you need it.

Kate had a point. I’m a bit baffled. First you see the younger sister with her shoes off, then in the next shot she appears to be putting them on BEFORE traipsing through mud. Confoosing.

The case of the mysterious pants. One minute their muddy, the next . . . foof!

“There’s a blizzard? Where do they live? The Midwest?” Kate makes a good point about typical spring weather.

I don’t know much about dogs, but that ain’t a bear fighting dog, folks. That’s a border collie.

So as the older sister drags the baby (who aside from the dog is the only person taking this seriously) to its certain death . . .

Sorry, kids! You’re on your own! If this really is the dad, he has some work to do on his parenting/fleeing for your life skills.

“I do like how the baby has a stuffed bear, even as there’s a bear outside, ready to maul the family.”

To my mind, this last image is the strangest and most impressive. It just sort of shoots the whole enterprise up a level.

This book made #12 on my Top 100 Board Books Poll.

Here is Michael Rosen performing this book by his very own self:

Did you think I was kidding about the parody book? Oh, ye of little faith:

And here is the video that Kate recommended. I present to you, Black Violin:

Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate