How to Talk Like a Bear

"a fun, interactive read that will have children growling and roaring with delight . . . this story invites children to have fun with language itself."

How to Talk Like a Bear offers a fun, interactive read that will have children growling and roaring with delight. The silly art by Alex Griffiths perfectly complements Charlie Grandy's words, illustrating how a roar can end up meaning all kinds of unintended things.

"You thought you said, 'Give me your ice cream sundaes, humans,' but you accidentally said, 'Go get a haircut.'"

Anyone who has stumbled through learning a new language will recognize the way a minor mispronunciation can lead to great misunderstanding. For example the words for "peach" and "fish" are very close in Italian. Or the words "heat" and "hate" in English. In this book, you need to get your roar just right or who knows what will happen.

The interactive nature makes this a good read-aloud for story time. The whole library will be filled with roars and growls. Along with fostering a love of reading, as any good picture book does, this story invites children to have fun with language itself. That's a bonus beyond learning how to be as powerful as a bear.