About the Author

Michael Rosen is one of the most popular authors of stories and poems for children. His bestselling titles, published by Walker Books, include Little Rabbit Foo Foo, Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, This Is Our House, Tiny Little Fly, Dear Mother Goose and its sequel Dear Fairy Godmother. Michael received the Eleanor Farjeon Award in 1997, and was the Children’s Laureate from 2007 to 2009. He is a distinguished critic and academic, co-directing an MA in Children’s Literature at Birkbeck College. Michael lives in London, N10, with his family.

Reviews

Beautifully produced, written and illustrated, this is a classic work for any age at any period.
*The Independent on Sunday*

With such a partnership, how can this gorgeous great picture-book rhyme fail?
*The Guardian*

Lovely to read aloud and beautiful to look at.
*The Sunday Times*

“This contains adventure, companionship and good, old-fashioned fun.”
*The Sun*

Voted one of the 100 Greatest Picture Books of All Time
*BBC*

Some have seen it as a story about over-coming the inevitable obstacles in life, but it is a fun, read-aloud book to be shared and enjoyed on any level.
*Top 50 Books Every Child Should Read, Good Housekeeping*

“It’s a special book and it just never gets old.”
*Gurgle*

Atmospheric, rhythmic, and the silent ending is the perfect misdirect.
*Juno*

Michael Rosen’s rhythmic and onomatopoeic words are repeated across generations, on family walks, in homes, in nurseries and in schools everywhere […] a fun, read-aloud book to be shared and enjoyed on any level.
*Good Housekeeping, Fiona Evans NLT*

PreS-K-- From England comes this refreshing interpretation of an old camp hand-rhyme presented in large picture-book format. The setting is the beach and its environs. The cast: five hunters (a man and four children) and a dog, all of whom stalk the furry beast through coastal landscapes, oozy mud, an unlikely snowstorm, and finally, into the cave where they meet the object of their search. And, just as in the old tale, they reverse their steps and, in this version, end up in bed under the covers, vowing never to go on a bear hunt again. The beautiful pastel watercolor paintings that fill the huge pages alternate with soft-textured charcoal sketches. The most impressive of the black, white, and gray drawings is the full-spread storm as it approaches. The final ``reverse'' scenes are small blocks, three to a page in rapid succession, in sync with the rushed pace of the text. Even the endpapers lend themselves to the mood of the tale. In contrast to the sunny beach featured at the front, a lonely bear walks the beach in the moonlight at the back of the book. The characters' faces are round and filled with expression. The rhyme is printed in a large, almost calligraphic typeface that leaps off the page, alive in onomatopoeic expression (``squelch squerch!'' and ``Hoooo woooo!'') and reassurance for young listeners (``We're not scared''). This version adds vitality to Sivulich's more traditional I'm Going on a Bear Hunt (Dutton, 1973; o.p.). Readers and listeners will delight in this imaginative pursuit over and over again. --Marianne Pilla, Upper Dublin Pub . Lib . , Dresher, PA

Beautifully produced, written and illustrated, this is a classic work for any age at any period. * The Independent on Sunday *
With such a partnership, how can this gorgeous great picture-book rhyme fail? * The Guardian *
Lovely to read aloud and beautiful to look at. * The Sunday Times *
"It's a special book and it just never gets old." * Gurgle *
"This contains adventure, companionship and good, old-fashioned fun." * The Sun *
Some have seen it as a story about over-coming the inevitable obstacles in life, but it is a fun, read-aloud book to be shared and enjoyed on any level. * Top 50 Books Every Child Should Read, Good Housekeeping *