Longtime mainstays of picture book collections in libraries, classrooms, and homes, Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1983) and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (1991) have recently been re-issued by Holt in beginning reader format. The "My First Reader" editions feature a traditional easy reader layout, large-size text, advice for parents and teachers about using the book with children, and reading activities that encourage youngsters to draw connections between words and pictures. In addition, the pagination has been reformatted to provide a stronger visual association between text and illustration (i.e., all of the written references to, for example, "red bird," have been placed on the spread with the image of this animal). Snuggled between enticing endpapers with miniature reproductions of the delightful characters presented within, the books' musical texts and bold artwork are as beguiling as ever, and their cozy dimensions make them ideal for easy handling by budding readers.
The fact that the new format seems like a perfect fit is no coincidence. Laura Godwin, vice-president and publisher of Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, explains that Brown Bear, first released in 1966, was originally part of a series of books published specifically for the educational market and intended to help children learn to read: "Bill Martin Jr believed that success leads to success; that once a child experiences the thrill of 'reading' Brown Bear, he or she will want to read it again and again and will feel confident enough to move on to other books too. Bill's magic formula was the combination of a catchy, contagious text consisting of rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, and beautiful art (Bill had a great visual sense as well as an aural one)—and the joy of instant 'reading' (part memorization of the refrain, part picture clue)."
Brown Bear quickly become a word-of-mouth success with educators, who began requesting that the title be made more widely available. Godwin states that in the resulting picture book edition, the placement of the text was changed "to make it more of a lap book 'guessing game.' The assumption was that in this new format, the story would be read to a child by an adult rather than read independently by the child himself." Brown Bear and its companion volumes—Polar Bear; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? (2003); and Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See (2007)—have sold millions of copies through the years with no sign of slowing down.
According to Godwin, the "My First Reader" versions reflect a decision to re-create the titles in their original form and for their original purpose: to encourage reading success. "We also thought it important to create an edition that school-age children would feel looked grown-up enough to reflect their newly acquired status. No 'baby book' picture books for them—hence the smaller trim size, a small badge of honor in and of itself!" The titles contain an introductory letter and activities by reading specialist, Laura Robb, whom Godwin believes is the right choice to represent Martin's point of view: "Laura and Bill were students together and life-long colleagues who shared the same philosophy of reading...consequently, there are no reading or phonics exercises in these books; rather there are activities to share between adults and children that enhance the reading experience and encourage imaginative thinking, creativity, and fun."
Brown Bear marked the beginning of collaboration between author and illustrator that would span four decades and result in generations of satisfied readers. Godwin relates the now "rather legendary" story of the book's creation: "The words purportedly popped into [Martin's] head during a commute on the Long Island Rail Road (and doesn't it make sense that such a rhythmic, hypnotic text would have been created on a train!). Not long afterward, he was waiting in a doctor's office when he picked up a magazine and saw an advertisement with a beautiful red lobster collage in it. Bill found the illustrator's name and address and eventually asked a very surprised Eric Carle if he would be interested in illustrating a children's book. Happily for all of us, Eric agreed and went on to have an illustrious and lengthy career in children's books." The two remained friends as well as enthusiastic supporters of each other's work throughout the decades that followed. "They really understood and appreciated what each brought to the table: Bill's text was all the more effective because Eric's art was so visually arresting; and Eric's art had all the more impact because Bill's text gave it extra meaning and depth...it was a real testament to this legacy that their last book was published 40 years after Brown Bear first appeared."
In addition to Brown Bear and Polar Bear, "My First Reader" versions of Panda Bear and Baby Bear will be released in January 2011. Godwin is hopeful that "these new editions will find their place alongside the classic picture book versions in schools and libraries everywhere. Educators were Bill and Eric's earliest fans and they've been their most loyal supporters ever since. We're certain that once again, they're the ones who will understand and appreciate these changes in trim size and word placement. Subtle, yes, but all-important-especially in the early stages of the creation of life-long readers!" Teachers and librarians can visit the Macmillan site to download a colorful reading certificate and add extra kudos to students' accomplishments.
Publication Information
MARTIN, Bill, Jr. Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? ISBN 978-0-8050-9244-8.
_____. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? ISBN 978-0-8050-9245-5.
ea vol: "My First Reader" ed. illus. by Eric Carle. Holt. 2010. Tr $8.99.
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