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PCHP’s Westchester, NY Site loves Brown Bear, Brown Bear!
In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, PCHP sites are sharing why they love this classic children’s book!
Brown Bear, Brown Bear is a classic and timeless children’s story. This fun, light-hearted, and interactive book helps children develop language, learn colors and animal names, and hone the skill of prediction. There is a lot of humor in this story too, for example, “Have you ever seen a Blue Horse or a Purple Cat?” We might ask, “What do you think the Blue Horse eats — blue hay?” Or “Have you ever eaten blue foods (blueberries, ice cream, fruit snacks)?” Take a chance, ask silly questions, and have fun.
Notice the rhythmic nature of the language and the repetition in the story. Look at the pictures; give attention to the artistic value of each of the animals; notice the variation in the colors. Eric Carle is a gifted illustrator who uses tissue paper to create the collages in many of his illustrations. A collage is a mixture of materials and objects pasted on paper. Try to use descriptive words to describe the colors: deep blue, pale pink, and brilliant orange.
After reading the book together, play together with these great Brown Bear activities!
Get up and move around your house looking for objects with your children. “Look, look, look, look. What did we see? We see the set of blocks looking at me.” Remember to keep the same rhythm going with each object you find. Try personalizing it with the name of your child! “Johnny, Johnny, what do you see?” Let your child tell you what he sees! Be sure to clap and march to the beat. This will help your child stay in rhythm, and have more fun!
Act out the animals in the book! Imitate the different animal sounds and movements. Have your child meow like the purple cat, gallop like the blue horse, and so on. Be sure that you make the animal sounds too! Your child will love hearing you quack like the yellow duck!
Ask your child to tell you all of the animals that he can think of. Write them all down, and then talk about them! Talk about the sounds they make, where they live, if your child has ever seen that specific animal before, etc. Then separate all the animals into categories: big or small animals; furry or feathery; zoo animals, pets, farm animals, or wild animals. This activity can spark a conversation about visiting the zoo or books about the zoo, what life is like on a farm, or favorite pets!
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