We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Why It's On Our Shelf

This is basically a call-and-response song in book form, which is why it works so well for group reading. The sound effects for each obstacle teach onomatopoeia naturally, and kids absolutely love acting out the movements and sounds. The fact that they repeat everything in reverse order on the way back exercises memory and sequencing without feeling like a drill. What makes this a classic is how participatory it is - kids don't just sit and listen, they become part of the story through movement and sound. It turns reading into a full-body activity, which is exactly what young kids need.