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In the genre of children's literature, there are several staples that every child must read. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, by Bill Martin Jr. is just one of those books. Combining a cute story with the methodically genius illustrations of Eric Carle, this book is great for toddlers interested in their environment.

The story focuses on the use of varying colours, repetitive dialogue, and the musings of a gifted writer. Children are guided through the book using vivid colour and imagery. After seeing a brown bear, and wondering just what he might see, children are led down a path of coloured animals that teach them about the world in which they live.

Once they have seen a red bird, and tried to decipher what he has seen, the young readers are given a litany of coloured objects from their world, such as a goldfish, a yellow duck, a blue horse, green frog, purple cat, white dog, black sheep, and a teacher with a class full of students.

With each new page, young readers will delight with the humorous drawings and gentle colours. Each animal tells just what he or she sees, and invites the reader to follow along on a journey through nature. After a few reads, children will easily learn what animals are coming next, and can complete the simple repetitive line about what they see. Young children love the silliness of the illustrations, and the sometimes odd colour combinations, like the purple cat and blue horse. As this book is simple enough to follow along with, it is great for early readers to have a chance to read it successfully.

All of the animals and colours used in this story are readily recognizable to most children, and the patterned rhyme is quickly learned through rote memory. This classic tale is told in such a fun way, that most children will delve headlong into this story, and will remember it for when they have children of their own. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? has been around for more than three decades, and has sold millions of copies, showing that it has a loyal fan base, and legions of admirers.

As far as children's literary classics go, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? was an instant classic when it hit the shelves. This is not a book that will be dog eared too often, since it is just too good to put down until the conclusion. The story almost seems like a day dream, in which a young boy dozes off in school and fantasizes about meeting a plethora of quirky animals, only to awaken to a group of children gawking.

No matter how you slice it, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is a treasure waiting to be unlocked by the imaginations of another generation.

Learn more about this author, Bobby Coles.
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