Head down to the Overton Library on Thursday February 15th for an interactive storytelling session based around Michael Rosen's much loved children's story 'We're Going on A Bear Hunt'.
They say that reading to your children and introducing them to a world of storytelling and fiction is a fundamental step in their development. Not only is literacy important for their education, but a love of books and reading can help them learn more about the world, develop empathy, and develop important skills to question the world around them. Thankfully parents aren't alone when it comes to developing their child's love of reading. Your local library is not only filled with books that you can read to your children, but most libraries also hold special story time sessions that provide children with different ways to connect with the books they love.
We're Going on a Bear Hunt is presented by Amanda Kane-Smith from Merry-go-Round Storytelling. After a career as a children's theatre performer and a theatre director, Amanda turned to storytelling as a way to bring stories to life for young children. She runs storytelling workshops at libraries and other events around Southern England, using movement, music, theatre and puppetry to create an interactive story time experience.
The book is Michael Rosen's 1989 children's picture book, 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. With soft and whimsical watercolour illustrations by Helen Oxenbury, who is a beloved children's author in her own right, 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' has been a favourite as families for almost 30 years. Even for those families who aren't familiar with Rosen's book, they're likely familiar with the folk song that inspired it.
We're going on a bear hunt
We're going on a bear hunt) We're going to catch a big one We're going to catch a big one) I'm not scared (I'm not scared)
Rosen's story takes the folk song but turns it into a slightly different tale, adding onomatopoeic prose to bring the adventure to life as the bear 'hunters' traipse through swishy-swashy grass or squelch-squerch through the mud. While Rosen envisioned the tale as one of a king, queen and jester on an actual hunt, it was Oxenbury's interpretation that saw the main characters as a group of exploring siblings.
To book at spot at the storytelling session, visit the online Hantsweb shop. Tickets are £3.75 for children, and supervising adults are free. All children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
The Overton Library is at 13 High St, Overton in Basingstoke. It is about 29 miles from Southampton, and a 37 minutes along the M3 and A34.