Hi there, friends! Today, we’re going to enjoy a fun story called “The Bear Who Stared” by Duncan Beaty. Let’s see what happens in the story!
Once upon a time, there was a bear who loved to look at things with his big eyes. Every morning, Bear would come out of his cave and look at the first thing he saw. One day, he saw a family of ladybugs having breakfast on a little leaf.
“What are you looking at?” asked the daddy ladybug. “We’re trying to eat!” So, they hurried away to find a quieter place.
Bear walked deeper into the forest and climbed a tall tree. He saw a bird feeding her baby chicks in a nest. “Can I help you?” asked the bird. Bear just kept looking, and the chicks didn’t like it. “Shoo!” said the bird. “Go back down to the ground!”
Bear climbed down and peeked into a badger’s home. The badger didn’t like being stared at either and nipped Bear on the nose! Bear walked away, rubbing his sore nose.
Bear found a log to sit on by a big green pond. He felt a little sad because he didn’t mean to bother anyone. He was just curious but too shy to talk.
“I’ve seen that look before,” said a small voice. Bear looked down and saw a friendly frog. Bear stared at the frog, and the frog stared back.
“It’s not fun being stared at, is it?” said the frog. “Sometimes a smile is all you need!” The frog gave Bear a big, happy smile and jumped into the water.
The next day, Bear came out of his cave and saw the ladybug family again. This time, Bear smiled and said hello.
“Oh, hello!” said the daddy ladybug, smiling back. Bear felt happy and made lots of new friends that day. He learned that a smile can make everything better!
And guess what? Bear found a new friend who didn’t mind being stared at. They both enjoyed looking at each other!
Did you enjoy “The Bear Who Stared”? Thanks for joining us! We hope to see you again soon. Bye!
Smile Experiment: Try smiling at different people throughout your day, like your family members, friends, or teachers. Notice how they react when you smile at them. Do they smile back? How does it make you feel? Share your experiences with the class and discuss how a simple smile can change someone’s day.
Animal Observation Walk: Go on a nature walk with your family or classmates and observe the animals you see. Try to watch them quietly without disturbing them. Draw a picture of one animal you observed and share what you noticed about its behavior. How do you think the animal feels when you watch it? Discuss why it’s important to be respectful when observing animals in nature.
Role-Playing Game: Pair up with a friend and take turns being Bear and the animals he meets. Practice how Bear can approach the animals differently by smiling and saying hello instead of just staring. How does this change the interaction? Talk about how using kind words and gestures can help make new friends.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hey boys and girls! Welcome to the Story Time Family. We are going to be reading “The Bear Who Stared” by Duncan Beaty. Let’s find out what the book’s about!
There was once a bear who liked to stare and stare and stare with his big eyes. Every day, Bear emerged from his cave and stared at the first thing he saw. One morning, he stared at a family of ladybirds who were having their breakfast on a small leaf.
“Oh, look at these cuties! What are you staring at?” squeaked the daddy ladybird. “We’re trying to have our breakfast in peace!” And with that, they scuttled off to find somewhere else to eat.
Bear strolled further into the forest and climbed a big tree. He stared at a bird feeding her chicks in their nest. “Can I help you?” asked the bird. Bear did not answer; he just stared. The chicks did not like Bear staring at them; he was putting them off their dinner. “Go on, shoo!” squawked the bird. “Get down to the ground where you belong!”
Bear climbed down to the forest floor, where he spied on a badger’s set. He poked his head into the entrance, and I’m sure you can guess what happened next. “Oh, stop gawking!” barked the badger, and he bit poor Bear on his nose. He was a particularly angry badger. Bear pulled his head from the badger’s set with a pop and skulked off, rubbing his sore nose.
Before long, Bear found a log to sit on by a large green pond. He sat and pondered by the pond. Bear didn’t mean to annoy all the other animals; he was just naturally curious but too shy to say anything.
“I’ve seen that look before,” said a small croaky voice coming from the pond. Bear looked down and saw a plump little frog. Bear stared at the frog, and the frog stared back with his big googly eyes. “Not much fun being stared at, is it?” continued the frog.
“I suppose not,” replied Bear. “It’s just that I don’t know what to say to anyone, and before I’ve had a chance to think, it’s too late.”
Bear stared into the water and saw another bear staring back at him with the same wide curious eyes. He looked just like Bear in every way, but this bear wobbled and was a strange green color. Then something extraordinary happened: the green bear blinked, and his mouth turned into a smile, which turned into a big happy grin.
“You see,” said the frog, “sometimes a smile is all you need. I may have big googly eyes, but I also have the widest smile in the whole forest!” Then the frog showed Bear his biggest, widest, and happiest smile before diving off into the water. As the frog disappeared, so too did the wobbly green bear.
The next day, Bear trudged out of his cave. He saw the ladybird family enjoying their breakfast on a small leaf. The daddy ladybird was just about to gather up their things and leave when Bear said hello with a big smile on his face.
“Oh, hello!” replied the daddy ladybird, and he smiled back. Bear strode happily off into the forest. Bear made lots of new friends that day and did not feel the need to stare, although he did have one new friend who didn’t mind Bear staring at him, and he was just as good as staring back.
The end.
Did you like “The Bear Who Stared”? Give us a like and subscribe! Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again soon! Bye!
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