To hate We’re Going On A Bear Hunt

Actually didn't mind Bear Hunt - when I first read it I hated the metre but DC2 in particular loved the mild peril aspect where they have to run back home and shut the door.

+1 for Thomas the Tank Engine being a dick - I hated those and used to dread being asked for them. So boring and all the trains were annoying.

Yes, it was nice the first time I read it but not for the 150,000th time. I did get really fed up with it.

It is a bit repetitive, but now my dc are older I use it as a metaphor for life - going through the hard bits to get to the other side of said obstacle. Not perfect but seems to work

I hated the Tiger who Came to Tea. Then someone suggested reading it as a story mummy made up to daddy because she couldn't be bothered to cook or clean and I found it more tolerable.

It is a great book and has a lovely rhythm to it.

I love it. I often read it to myself just for pleasure. Sometimes I sit in bed with DH and we read it together and how we laugh.

I read something by him where he recognizes it’s a folk song and apparently the inside cover of the paperback says “words adapted by Michael Rosen” or something, but that wasn’t printed in the board book for some reason.

Shenmen you did make me chuckle with “Thomas the fucking boring tank engine” 🤣🤣🤣

Got four chances to read this to each of my children as they all grew up. Absolutely loved it😍

Luckily bear hunt is one of my husbands favourites so I am rarely asked to read it to them 😂 especially as "Daddy does the noises better than you". Too right he does.

They also think the bear looks sad on the last page so he said he's going home for his vegetarian pizza and they think that's hilarious for some reason 🤣

Both Bear Hunt and Tiger take me back to being 6 years old inventing adventures in the park… the little patch of hilly grass becomes a mountain, the stream is a torrid river, a teddy bear is an actual bear, the local ginger cat who’s always begging is a real tiger, and going to a cafe at 5pm is basically the Oscars.

I’ve lost that imagination as an adult, it’s nice to be able to use those stories when I’m playing with my toddler. Taking her on a bear hunt around the garden and so on.

Also the illustrations are lovely.

As s retired Early Years teacher who read Bear Hunt thousands of times over 30 years I still love it. You have to put some energy and rythmn into it and the children join in. Mild peril has always been part of children's storiesthey used to shriek IT'S A BEAR and go back through the cave, the mud etc. as quickly as they could.

I also like The Tiger Who Came to Tea and, although Sophie's Mummy was a bit pathetic, I always asked children what their Mum would have done. They came up with some great ideas.

This thread appeared for me approximately 20 seconds after reading this book 😂 I don’t hate it, but I am so bored of it and the repetitiveness!

My son likes to ac we’re going on a bear hunt out… at the park.
I used to read it to him when he was 1-3 and I thought he’d forgotten about it.
Nope they started reading it at school so now it’s back in rotation at bed time

My DS was the same. We had to have lots of chats about how maybe he would play with his bear friends tomorrow. Was a nice lead in to how sad it was to be left out

I thought we’re going on a bear hunt and the tiger who came to tea were a huge disappointment compared to so many other much loved books such as the the very hungry caterpillar, owl babies, the gruffalo, can you sleep little bear, guess how much I love you, dear zoo, the day the crayons quit (nearly crying here thinking of them, eldest has final exam today, it’s like a different world- miss it!!!)

No word for the Brambly Hedge series which was my favourite as a child and which I’m trying to pass on to my children.

It came in handy on the walks home from school when everyone starts to whine a bit. I was grateful that I could remember the whole thing! But there is always too much of a good thing - also you can change up the words (or sound effects) to amuse yourself if it's that awful for you. Story time doesn't actually last that long, then you'll find yourself reading kids books in the store for fun.

I think we read it about 3 times and my DD was so unimpressed and bored -it "disappeared "

Dislike Bear Hunt, luckily only my youngest was young enough.
ASD son loved Thomas and Mr bastard Men. God forbid you deviate.
My hatred is reserved for the emotionally manipulative Nut Brown Hare. Wanker.

I didn't know it was a book until recently. I remember it being a game at rainbows. You'd do all the actions of the different terrains on your bear hunt. Then a leader would shout 'oh no, a bear' and you have to scream and quickly do all the actions and noises in reverse to run away. Fun for a child if I remember rightly.

I then used it briefly as an adult as part of a primary school science workshop teaching children to use microscopes to look for water bears/tardigrades.

See, I don’t think Michael Rosen wrote it yet no one talks about it. According to Google it was published in 1989. Yet before that I had a cassette of children’s songs and rhymes and bear hunt was on it. Is he claiming he made it up?

Dogger was our favourite too

Big fans of ‘Peace at Last’ and other books by the same author as well.

the other thing with Bear Hunt is that apparently he sold the rights? So there are tons of frightful spinoffs by other authors too…”We’re Going on an Egg Hunt” etc (at least that one has flaps!!). Blech.

My kids also love Avocado Baby (Burningham…lovely CBeebies Bedtime Story version too), and the Ahlberg books. Eldest (6) so into Famous Five right now as well.