To hate We’re Going On A Bear Hunt

[Shabbalabadingdong]

Just that really, I HATE it. I know it’s a children’s classic but whenever DD picks it to read my heart sinks. It’s so repetitive (which I get is the point) and annoying. It’s a metaphor for something, god knows what. The dad is just massively irresponsible, I’m surprised he doesn’t take them trudging across railway lines and MOD firing ranges. It’s just bollocks.

I also hate Were Going On A Bear Hunt. The only good thing about it was that it stopped my little one being scared that a bear was going to attack him in his sleep (he got a bit scared after the bear shook the beehive in The Bumblebear).

I just pointed out that the bear buggers off after they shut the front door because bears can't open doors, and we always shut our front door. He hasn't worried about it since.

Every now and again he asks something like 'can dinosaurs open doors?' or 'can crocodiles open doors?', and we just have to reassure him that nope they can't. Thank you Bear Hunt.

Dogger is a classic and the illustrations are just lovely.

Hate it with a passion, it doesn't rhyme and the metre is out, it really grates

Absolutely love Where's my Teddy, we kept a lot of DC books and DGC loves it as well, we may need to buy a new copy it's so tatty now. BUT it has rhyme, you can put a lot of intonation in to it.

Somehow certain books used to get mislaid on a regular basis!! That was top of the list for It!!

I can thoroughly recommend Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type for a subversive take on the Union movement. It’s genius.

oh me too. Yeah right a tiger drank all the beer.

And best of all it’s short. And funny. Works for adults and children. Decent twist at the end.

I agree. I don't like it either. I just find it really boring and repetitive. My kids liked it enough but preferred the likes of Shirley Hughes, Julia Donaldson....just books with a bit more meat to them.

Yes, I think you've hit the nail on the head!! It's whiney & definitely 'make it stop'

its been quite a few years since I've had to read it now, but just the title being mentioned and I get all angst & noooooooo

A better book about a bear is 'I want my hat back'

👏👏👏
It's a long time since I had to read that to my kids - enjoyed it the first two times, despised it by the 50th time 😂
And don't get me started on Beatrix bloody Potter (which kid/parent is actually interested in 'soporific lettuce) or Roald fucking Dahl and his piss-poor wordplay 😀
(oops, quoted wrong post - meant to quote OP)

I actually quite like Beatrix Potter. Really crisp, clear English, and reassuringly old fashioned.

No - she’s right, it’s miles better if you know how to make good swishy swashy noises.

I didn't mind the bear hunt the first couple of times I read it, but after that I couldn't do it anymore, it was beyond repetitive.

I thought the tiger in the tiger comes to tea was a metaphore for her mums alcoholism and thats why sophie wasn't fed or washed due to the neglect associated with it.

My favourite book though was 'stick man', adventure and then warm and fuzzy when he made it home <apologies for the spoiler if you haven't read it 😂>

@Canthelpmyselffromjoiningin 😂 yep. I change the wording of the tiger the came to tea ‘mummy had a great idea’ etc.

Michael Rosen performed Bear Hunt, amongst other poetry, at my school-it was brilliant!

Agree, OP. I know the kids love it, but o do find it annoying.

I also have to add in the highways rat. My son adored it, but the rhythm is horrible.

I HATED that book for so long. But then I hit some rough times, problems, struggles. And heard an analogy, I forget where. About the troubles in your life. That you can't avoid. Somebody said, about your trouble, whatever it may be: "We can't go under it, we can't go over it, we have to go through it".
Suddenly I was able to put up with reading that book aloud again, because I was somewhere else in my own head. Thanks to the analogy.
Not sure if that helps. It helped me to read it in my own way I guess.
My pre-schoolers don't know or care either way about my own interpretation.
But it got me through that annoying book!
Solidarity! X

Try reading We're Going On A Bar Hunt afterwards with a nice glass of what you have. Takes the edge off.

U R being unreasonable with no vote! I think u would find u are in the minority as Michael Rosen is a national treasure.

Michael Rosen is interesting but he certainly stole little Rabbit Foo Foo from the Brownies (1980 ish) and didn't get the mitre or the punchline right

The only books I think are worth the read are Topsy and Tim.

I hated it too. Like are you supposed to say it or sing it? Luckily my son didn't choose it much . I think it ended up in the charity shop quite rapidly

See I go the other way into deep sarcasm: “Just then St Daddy came home. da da daaaaa! Everyone clapped. Oh thank goodness said Mummy I would never have thought of going to a cafe.” etc

My kids don't like it but when I have read it it's always been as a song. Tiger who came to tea is a bit idiotic and the end is meh. But have a thought for me. My 4 Yr old daughter is into Star Wars: Beginning to Read Alone. Especially Anakin in Action. Just pointless sentences masquerading as starwars facts. No plot nothing real. Am shocked they were published at all those books. And by Dk! There are times she asks for Anakin in Action nightly and I just want to die. It's that boring and pointless