Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr./Eric Carle

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was the first in a series of books that Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle teamed up to do together, and has been a classic with children, parents, teachers, and grandparents for over 40 years! (They also produced Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?, and Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?)

Brown Bear, Brown Bear is an amazing piece of children's literature, filled not only with the beautiful and eye catching illustrations of Eric Carle, but multiple teachable moments found on each and every page!

If your child is just learning their colors or animals, every new page is an opportunity to learn, featuring a new animal of a different, vibrant color! (Red bird, green frog, white dog, etc.) As each animal is asked "What do you see?" you and your child can pause and guess what animal will be on the next page. After reading through the book several times, your child will start to remember what each animal sees, and so will be able to tell you what comes next, helping to develop their memory and sequencing skills. 

Though this book is a wonderful opportunity to learn, it won't feel like a lesson. As with other books by Bill Martin Jr., Brown Bear, Brown Bear is just fun! It's fun to read, it's fun to hear, it's fun to turn every page and see what is on the next one. This is a favorite of my son's, and one that he selects over and over to take to bed at nap time and read to himself and his stuffed friends. 

There are so many ways to expand this book into other learning opportunities, whether you are a teacher, home school your children, or are just looking for something fun to do with your children on a walk to the playground or on a rainy day. You can use Eric Carle's beautiful artwork as inspiration for your own tissue paper animal art. Go on a 'What Do You See' walk with your child on the way to the park, or create your own What Do You See/Smell/Taste/Hear/Touch Book with your child! 

If you are looking for some other great ideas for activities to expand the reading/teaching experience, please check out these ideas on the official Eric Carle site, or look at the ideas in this Brown Bear and Friends Activity Guide (pdf)!

If you are interested in more works by Bill Martin Jr, please check out his site here. If you are interested in the illustrations and writing of Eric Carle, please visit his official site here. 

Thank you for reading.