Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr.

Reading in groups: This book could be fun to read in a group because it is asking a question. Students anywhere from 4 to 5 or 6 would enjoy this book.

Personal Reaction: A great beginners books! Another one of my favorite books growing up, I believe these types of beginners books are awesome because they have lasted for so many years that it makes me as a teacher really want to have students read them. If guessed correctly, you are able to go on to the next animal. Another way in being creative with this story, is re-read this story and have the children GUESS the animal from the description of the sound it makes. Then the teacher re-reads the story and includes each child and their best version of their animal, a speaking part in the story.

Assign each child an animal to imitate, and act out loud, the sound it makes, for the class. One of the activities I had in mind is cutting out large enough pictures of each animal, gluing them on card stock and putting holes for eyes to see through the picture. Another thing is the bold colors and the different designs and shapes of these animals. The words written on each page are catchy, easy to read and easy to remember for young children. You could easily create a melody or make this book into your own sing-a-long that will engage the children into the characters and movement of these zoo animals. This book is exciting to read and while reading, you may find that the characters of the animals create a rhythmic sound. Any chance you'll post a reading on You Tube? I wish I could come and watch you read it, though, because I bet you could convince me I am wrong. Every word is dissonant to me, and I just can't stand it, despite the beautiful art. Where the first book's rhythm succeeds, the second book eschews rhythm and disrupts my reading. I wanted TO BE the animals.īut it didn't make a damn bit of difference. I was freaking serious about doing it right.

I slithered around on my belly with a fork duct taped to my tongue. I cracked out my old Don Johnson duds to be the flamingo. I poured honey all over myself and rolled in flour to play the titular Polar Bear. I painted myself with gentian violet, grew a handlebar mustache, jammed a couple of carrots under my lip and flopped around grunting. I gained weight to play the purple walrus (how the hell am I going to lose it?). I was like Robert deNiro shooting heroin for Raging Bull.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr.