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.

The Paper Dolls is the one that hacks me off absolutely no end. A girl makes some paper dolls and loves them. A horrible little Tosser boy cuts them up but it’s ok because she remembers them and later on she makes some different dolls with her daughter.

Just makes me think of how many women get killed by men every year! Not where my brain wants to go mid book!

I actually like his other work. It must pain him daily that his most famous work is Bear Hunt. A bit like Alec Guinness and Star Wars.

And bomping them on the head . I must admit to losing that one at preschool on more than one occasion.
I like The Bear Hunt cosmic yoga - well, actually most of the cosmic yoga based around stories. It saves me from reading them and gets the children moving.

@WitcheryDivine this is amazing 😂😂😂 in my mind, your children are wide-eyed as you read it.

Slinky Malinky was my favourite to read 😊
Bear Hunt was ok but a bit meh.
i enjoyed doing old fashioned BBC voices for Tiger Who Came to Tea and yes - heavy sarcasm for the wonderful daddy who saved the day after his busy day being important while the silly girls fret and look pretty, my son used to laugh, he got it.

I love this interpretation! I had a dickhead XH so can't relate, but it's a lovely view.

I see "going on a bear hunt" as a metaphor for grief or difficulties in life: you can't go under, or over, you have to go through it. Thought a lot of this book during difficult times...

Fucking hell I forgot how much I loathed this book until i read this!
it doesn’t scan nicely as a rhyming book, it doesn’t flow properly for a regularly for a regular story. Plus it’s just stupid.
Yanbu up, my worst kids story book by a country mile! And then someone bought us a bear hunt board game 😭🫠 can only conclude that they absolutely despised me!!

YABU! My two loved this book, we used to do all the actions and even hiding under the covers at the end.

Ah my daughter and I absolutely love this book but I agree, what a dickhead little boy.

I don't mind Bear Hunt because it's pretty short. I also love that my DD looks at the 'sad bear' going back to his cave in that last illustration and came to the conclusion that he was friendly and just wanted to play but is now sadly walking home because they didn't.

I love most Julia Donaldson ones but one I can't stand is The Ugly Five. Yes at the end it's heartwarming or whatever that their babies find them beautiful but I hate that the animals all refer to themselves as being ugly, horrifying etc, it's basically all the negative self image talk I hope my kids never develop!

My DS loved it! Read and re read so many times .When I worked at the Nursery a little boy loved it too ,I enjoyed it too. The Tiger who came to tea, was a simple story that Judith Kerr invented for her own young DD.I dont think there was anything anti feminist though.It was written in 1967, and was representative of many middle class homes of that time.

Thomas - the most boring rubbish ever. The Tiger - probably of its time but at least it was slightly interesting what the tiger ate next! But yes never got the love for Bear Hunt. I don't do swishy noises that well.

I hated it. I don't care about the meaning, it's so repetitive and boring.

I admit to being incredibly happy both my DC were early readers & started reading by themselves!!!

I know what you mean and I also felt sorry for the bear walking sadly away at the end.

Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo on the other hand is a masterpiece of writing rivalling anything written by Shakespeare, Charles Dickens or Jane Austen.

Hate Bear Hunt. It makes no sense. Language-wise Thomas The Tank Engine is much more interesting and the illustrations are more fun too (I am talking about the ORIGINAL stories here, plus the books based on the 1980s TV series). Even my 2yo will listen to those in full.

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.

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.

Dogger was our favourite too

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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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!!!)

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