We’re Going on a Bear Hunt - Joyful Perseverance
There are some storybooks that stand out from all the others in the rare way that they can inspire BOTH adults and children - while also being great fun to read. The book, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”, is one of those gems.
For the little ones, it is an adventure on each page that truly resonates with the imagination of children. Ordinary experiences like going on a walk near the beach, or in the woods, become so much more! Those activities are transformed into a bear hunt…and we’re not scared! Part of the fun is imagining how this outrageous journey would really feel: swishing through a snow storm, sloshing through a river, squishing in the mud, stumbling through a forest. Only to run as fast as you can - back home to be safe snuggling under covers - in a ball of laughter.
When my son was young, we would act out the entire story around the house and end up laughing in a snuggly mess of a bed at the end. It wasn’t just a story to be read. It was a relational memory to be experienced and shared again and again.
However, the book offers more than fun.
I love how it subtly celebrates fatherhood. So many other titles for readers this age, mock and marginalize fathers…laughing at their expense. This story shows a fun-loving father who leads his tribe through all kinds of challenges, sprints home with them, and gathers them close under the blankets in laughter at the end. We can even imagine God the Father as the jolly dad who is with us on every journey and ready to embrace us when we run home with Him! (My storybook, Jesus Lost and Found, is another example of a story that celebrates fatherhood through the kindness of St. Joseph.)
“We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” also strengthens the ability to embrace the virtue of perseverance in all of us…no matter what age we are. The lines, “Cant go over it. Can’t go under it. Have to go through it.” are powerful touchstones to tuck in the heart of a child about conquering any challenge in life. At the same time, those words are powerful anchor points when life for us grown-ups seems impossibly difficult. I find myself quietly repeating that trio of phrases when I’m face hard times. Comfort is found knowing that we will get THROUGH it. Whatever it is. There is more on the other side. Often, smiles, laughter, and love are on the other side. That gives me hope!
Get more information about this powerful little picture book on VirtueSearch.com, where books, movies and music are rated and recommended according to virtues.
So…if you are trying to raise children or grandchildren in an often toxic culture, and you feel like you are on a bear hunt, with endless challenges and danger lurking nearby…I recommend you overcome the evil with good. Get a hold of: “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” and read and play the story with the little ones you love. I promise, your heart will be blessed. The JOY of the Lord is our strength….and a silly little bear hunt can help us grab hold of that smile.