Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Board book)

~ Bill Martin Jr. (Author), Eric Carle (Illustrator) "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The gentle rhyming and gorgeous, tissue-paper collage illustrations in this classic picture book make it a dog-eared favorite on many children's bookshelves. On each page, we meet a new animal who nudges us onward to discover which creature will show up next: "Blue Horse, Blue Horse, What do you see? I see a green frog looking at me." This pattern is repeated over and over, until the pre-reader can chime in with the reader, easily predicting the next rhyme. One thing readers might not predict, however, is just what kinds of funny characters will make an appearance at the denouement! Children on the verge of reading learn best with plenty of identifiable images and rhythmic repetition. Eric Carle's good-humored style and colorful, bold illustrations (like those in The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouchy Ladybug, and Have You Seen My Cat?) have earned him a prominent place in the children's book hall of fame. (Baby to Preschool) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-- In this new edition of the popular classic (Holt, 1983), the same clean design and crisp text remain. Illustrations, however, have been slightly altered. Stronger colors and more texture help delineate animal bodies more sharply. Positions and shapes are slightly changed, resulting in a less static look. Red Bird is shown in flying position with a sleeker body, sharper beak, and more carefully defined tail and wing features. Yellow Duck has webbed feet and an open bill; Blue Horse has black hooves and teeth showing; Green Frog a spotted back and pink tongue; the former Mother with pale pink skin has become Teacher with beige skin tones and darker hair. The overall effect is livelier and more interesting, although changes are minimal enough that the old edition is still serviceable. When replacements are in order, this will be a welcome addition. --Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Board book: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (September 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805047905
• ISBN-13: 978-0805047905
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (355 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #376 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Classic From Carle, September 11, 2000

By	Wayne A. Smith (Wilmington, DE) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I've had three children who fell in love with this book around age two. It does a wonderful job of teaching colors, animals and rhyme to toddlers.

Aided by Carle's unique illustrations, this book begs to be chanted by the parent who will be reading it for the umpteenth time. ("Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? I see a red bird looking at me. Red bird, red bird, what do you see? I see a ....." etc., etc.) The cadence and rhythm of the words have fascinated my youngsters as they learn to identify different colored animals populating the pages of the book. Strictly a teaching tool, the book does not have a story per se, but it seems to be just right for the child who is just beginning to discover the larger world.

64 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars New, revised version inferior to the original., September 13, 2005

By	Julie Greeman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Hardcover)

I am a Kindergarten teacher in Connecticut, and have been using this book for many years. I have the Big Book, a regular-size Paperback version, and four small hardcover ones that I use with an original tape of Bill Martin reading the story. These books are much loved, and I decided to replenish my library with new ones, only to discover that for some reason known only to himself, Bill Martin decided to change the format. In the original version, the pictures helped give clues to the words, which emergent readers need: i.e "Brown bear, brown bear What do you see?" was on the page with the picture of the brown bear. The words "I see a red bird looking at me." and then "Red bird, red bird, what do you see?" were on the page with the picture of the red bird. In this newer, revised version, the page that contains part of the picture of the brown bear has "I see a red bird looking at me." on it. When you turn to the next page, with the picture of the red bird, you see the words, "Red bird, red bird, what do you see?" but then, on the same page you get the words "I see a yellow duck looking at me." No picture clue given. I don't like this version, and it's now impossible for me to obtain a copy of the original version. I think they must be out of print. So I'm holding on to mine for dear life! They're worth their weight in gold!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have Book for all Children., May 29, 1999

By A Customer

Brown Bear, Brown Bear has provided my child with reading enjoyment since 9 months of age. The colors are outstanding and eye-catching to the little ones. This is most definately her favorite book. (As the book shows). It teaches children of various animals and associates them with colors. At the age of 14 months, my daughter could depict every picture and state it by name and color. True educational book for the young at heart . If your child does not have this book, trust me, buy it - it is well worth it. It's companion book, "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear." is as phenomem.