Can Bears Ski?

Product Information

Boy bear is attracted to the snow outside because everything feels still. There is no rumbling or trembling.

Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus: 9781536212662

This is a lovely story showing a positive message about children with hearing loss. Boy Bear can feel the rumbling and noise of the curtains and his dad’s footsteps when he is woken up in the morning. He enjoys getting ready for school and then the snow outside, but then, while on his way to school, his dad tells him that he just ignored his friend and then asks him if Bears can Ski? But is that really what Dad Bear asked, or is Boy Bear suffering some problems with his hearing? This is a book written with heart and enriched with the real life experiences of both the author and the illustrator. The journey that Bear and his Dad travel in this story is one trodden by so many families which makes it all the more poignant and powerful because the emotion weaved through the words and pictures is tangible. It is real. An endearing children's picture book that speaks to the hearts of those faced with hard of hearing issues. The book explores diversity with a creative approach for ages 4-7. It's also a helpful book using age appropriate terminology, e.g. audiologist and audiogram. Young readers will enjoy figuring out what the title “Can Bears Ski?” is supposed to mean. They will also benefit from learning more about the issues of someone hard of hearing and how to talk to them. It's the perfect book for teachers, parents and classmates. Sign language is not a part of the story line. The story follows Little Bear who is just discovering his deafness. It is Antrobus's children's debut book. From CAN BEARS SKI? written by Raymond Antrobus and illustrated by Polly Dunbar. Reproduced by permission of Walker Books Ltd, London SE11 5HJ. www.walker.co.uk

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Bear feels sounds. He can tell the volume and urgency of his father’s voice by the movements in the things around him. I wish this book had been available to me when I was teaching. It would have helped me to better teach the children in my classes who experienced sound differently and enabled me to better support the families of those children as they dealt with the daily challenges that deafness can bring. The CLPE teaching notes are brilliant for starting discussions around this book and they also link to some brilliant resources and further reading for children who want to learn more about the Deaf community and want to improve their own ability to communicate with Deaf children and grown ups. Bear is moved to the front of the classroom at school, he is still not quite sure what his teacher says.

Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus and Polly Dunbar (Walker Can Bears Ski? by Raymond Antrobus and Polly Dunbar (Walker

This year brings a very special collaboration with Paula Garfield, the Artistic Director of Deafinitely Theatre to create ‘Can Bears Ski?’ for both a hearing and deaf audience. This book has two goals: to tell a fun and interesting story, along with introducing children to some things faced by a person with a hearing loss or who is deaf. Both goals are met by the author and the illustrator, who themselves have hearing losses. Raymond is deaf, and Polly is partially deaf. Because of that, the two bring first-hand knowledge to this tale. Can Bears Ski? That’s what it seems Dad Bear asks at breakfast. Then again, that’s what it sounds like at the lunch table when everyone is laughing at something David Bear says. However it’s not very clear. Teacher Bear asks too, ‘Can Bears Ski’? What does it mean?One day his dad takes him to see an Audiologist who after performing some tests explains that little bear suffers from hearing loss and starts him on lip-reading course as well as giving him hearing aids. He soon learns that people weren’t asking him about skiing but rather ‘can you hear me?’ Can bears ski? What a random question to ask little bear. This book follows the story of a little bear who we find is hard of hearing. Antrobus and Dunbar have created a lovely book to show children what it is like to be hard of hearing. With the help of family and professionals the young bear who struggled to hear people talk and know what they were saying learns different techniques to help him such as lip reading and heading aids.