How to Talk Like a Bear

by Charlie Grandy, Alex G. Griffiths (Illustrations)

Told in the same fourth-wall-breaking style of B. J. Novak's The Book With No Pictures, How to Talk Like a Bear is the perfect how-to guide to speaking fluent bear.

Want to learn how to speak Bear? Well, you came to the right place. It's far more than just growling and roaring (a common misconception). There's a lot more to it. It's very easy to accidentally say the wrong phrase when you're trying to get your point across. For example, saying "ROOOAARR" instead of "ROAAARRRR" is the difference between wanting a sandwich and wanting to get into beekeeping.

This silly romp is perfect for read-alouds and is the exact right gift for anyone looking for a laugh (or looking to learn a new language).

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Childrens, Storytime, Juvenile, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 14, 2023

Reviews

[Dawn Foster · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a very interesting, well-developed story!! The premise is cute & started out promising with a growly bear trying to teach an unseen friend to ROAR!!! But the storyline got muddled & at times didn't make sense. I don't think young kids would understand the ending 🤔

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just didn't win me over. There was no way (unless you're a bear) to discern what each roar means. Probably not a great book if you are reading with youngsters before bed... it'll get them all riled up.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous picture book about learning to communicate like a bear. The use of ROAR and GROWL are explained as simple and effective, but also subtle in meaning. This will be a fun book to act out, read aloud in groups, or used to introduce units about language and communication.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 4 1/2 year old grandson and I laughed out loud when we read this together! Then we started it again and laughed some more. It was a special moment for us!!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: I am going to teach you how to talk like a bear.

Premise/plot: Best case scenario this is an INTERACTIVE read that kids can join in on. It is written directly to readers. The star of the show, a bear, is going to teach YOU the reader how to talk like a bear. There are several lessons. There are some mishaps along the way, no one gets it right the first time, which could lead to some giggles.

My thoughts: This was SO MUCH FUN. I think this could easily be one to read again-again-again-again. I wouldn't be surprised if it encourages kids--especially younger kids--to try talking like a bear outside the context of reader participation while listening to this one. It's just so much fun, so super-silly.

I would definitely recommend this one. Again, I think it would work in homes, libraries, and younger elementary grades.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bear tries to teach the person reading the book how to "talk" like a bear. First, the bear roars and clears out a restaurant, claiming that in bear, that particular roar meant I am going to eat your ice cream sundae, humans! So the reader attempts a roar. It's a little weak. They gradually build up to a louder "ROAR". Unfortunately the inflection is a little off... and it means, "Time for a haircut, bear!" Eventually they switch to GRRR which, according to bear, means that they can do whatever they want! Or does it really?
I thought this was very cute and I think it will be awesome to hear all the kids Roaring and GRRRing along with the prompts. This would make a delightful book to use in story time.

[Katie Hutchison Irion · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Talk Like a Bear by Charlie Grandy and Alex G. Griffiths is a darling book with a bear teaching the reader how to talk like a bear. The young bear is filled with a lot of personality and the book is quite humorous. He guides the reader through the nuances of talking like a bear and acting like a bear at times. I think my favorite part is when he asks all the readers to get into the mind of bear by performing some yoga, working on some visualization and getting a hot mug of “lear and termite tea.” At that point, “total bear focus” is achieved! The book is super interactive and filled with darling, whimsical illustrations. It is a fun book that both me and my 6-year-old thoroughly enjoyed.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOW TO TALK LIKE A BEAR is a silly and fun story that will have your child roaring like a bear. Becoming fluent in bear is as easy as 1, 2, 3, but you have to be careful of what you're saying. Different roars mean different things. You don't want to accidentally insult anyone.

The illustrations are just as entertaining as the words and are cute with little detail. There isn't any hidden meaning within the script. It's a fun and humorous read that brought a smile to my daughter's face. I laughed as she roared.


Final Verdict: I would recommend this to children aged two and up who like animals. It's an easy read that's both engaging and silly.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readers will appreciate the humor as this bear tries to teach an unseen child (reader) how to speak like a bear. Each roar or growl means something different based on how it is said. Grandy spins the fun out as the bear does whatever the child roars and then demonstrates the growl that means he doesn't have to do anything - until the last page.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be prepared to roarrrrr and grrrrrr. A little circular as there are misdirections to haircuts and circuses, libraries and leaf and termite tea, but in this book, the digressions make perfect sense. Silly and well suited for storytimes and read alouds.

Themes: bears
Ages: preK-2nd grade
Pub year: 2023

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a funny book to read to a child. There were so many ways to growl like a bear but the reader doesn't have to be a bear. Everything tried is critiqued by the bear and shows why it is nice to speak bear. Between learning to roar and following the silly suggestions you can learn to be a bear and laugh with this book.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to learn how to talk like a bear, and be able to distinguish between a roar and a growl this is a must read book for you. Once you finish this book you WILL BE able to talk like a bear. Enjoy!!

[Angela De Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning to speak Bear isn’t as hard as you think. You just need to learn the words and practice until you get it just right. Funny pb filled with roars, grunts and growls. ROAR! That means read this book in Bear.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The interactive elements in this were fun and humorous--lots of roaring and then ROAR ends up meaning a variety of different things. I wasn't the biggest fan of how all the growling and roaring was basically just seen with the intent of kids trying to get their own way.

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 3K/4K kids liked it, especially since they got to practice their roars and growls. But it would have been better if there had been an actual child in the illustrations instead of an imaginary reader conversing with the bear. I would say it was okay, but I won't read it to kids another year.

[Hilda Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous story about a Bear teaching the children/readers how to be a bear. It has some prompts to "Roar" like a bear and "grunt" like a bear, which I'm sure will be the best part of the book for kids.

Funny/Bears

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fourth wall books are great for storytime...when they work. I haven't tried this one yet but it seems promising...

[Leova Manbhat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and can be interactive. It would make a fun read aloud.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would be a fun read-aloud,
with a title like "How to Talk like a Bear" how could it not be?

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story with opportunities for reader participation.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book! My favorite illustration was when the bear was "visualizing." HILARIOUS!

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to read with your kids so they can interact

[Ashley S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my 4.5yo's review. He enjoyed all the roaring, the parry hat, the congratulations, and the silly illustrations.

[Kelly]

This book is great for my upcoming storytime on breaking the 4th wall/finding your voice for our summer reading theme.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book that begs to be read aloud - great for Storytime!

[Y.Poston]

a very fun read-aloud
for enacting bear communication

[createitlibrarian (Amanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and funny!

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this would be a good participatory book.

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute

[emyrose8 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little cheesy. Pretty standard breaking the fourth wall book. I loved the illustrations and there were some funny bits.