✦Stan and Jan Berenstain · Reading companion
The Berenstain Bears series
Begin with The Big Honey Hunt and explore plans, picture clues, and what a character can learn when an idea changes.
A book to read together
The Berenstain Bears series
Original prompts to use with your copy.
This original Curiosi series companion focuses on The Big Honey Hunt by Stan and Jan Berenstain, who wrote and illustrated the book. The official Berenstain Bears history identifies it as the first book in the series. Bring a family or library copy of that title. Other books in the series have different stories and may have different creator credits.
Start with the particular book
Check that your copy is The Big Honey Hunt, then read the title and creator credits. Study the cover and name one detail that raises a question. Ask what a plan is and whether it can change. Let the child offer an example from an invented situation, such as arranging a pretend picnic for paper animals.
Compare words and picture clues
During reading, stop at a moment where the picture adds something to the words. What can the child see, and what are they inferring? Point to a detail in your copy before explaining the idea. Notice whether the scene feels surprising or funny. Different readers may notice different clues, so allow time to listen to each other.
Revisit a decision
After reading, choose a plan or decision in the book. What did a character expect, and how did the result compare? Discuss which observation might help the character reconsider. A changed plan can offer something to learn without making the person who tried it a target for teasing. Support your response with the book rather than retelling every event.
Revise a pretend picnic plan
Draw a pretend indoor picnic for two paper animals with a blanket, cups, and space to sit. Add an invented change, such as one more guest arriving. Make a second drawing showing how you would adapt the plan. Compare the two pictures and explain one useful adjustment. Use your own animal designs and setting rather than the published bear characters.
Your turn to read
Keep the conversation going
There is no single right answer. Invite young readers to notice, wonder and imagine.
Which picture clue added to the words?
How did a result compare with a character’s expectation?
What changed between your two picnic plans?
Make something: Ask a partner to suggest a different small change to your pretend picnic. Draw one more adjustment and explain why it fits.
