We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Michael Rosen's 1989 picture book is a read-aloud classic for good reason. A family treks through grass, river, mud, forest, and snowstorm hunting a bear — and when they find one, they run home through every obstacle in breathless reverse. Helen Oxenbury's illustrations are warm and expressive, the call-and-response rhythm practically begs to be read out loud, and the balance of excitement and safe resolution is perfectly judged for young children. It has sold over nine million copies and won the Nestlé Smarties Prize, and those numbers reflect genuine and lasting quality. The honest caveat is minimal: the plot is intentionally simple, and some children may find hiding under the duvet a slightly anticlimactic ending. For families with children ages 2 to 6, this belongs on the shelf.