A 10,000 Book Giveaway Will Mark 30 Years of Bear Hunt

Its thirty years since We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury was published and in that time the book has sold more than eleven million copies in forty two languages. Famous across the world, it’s become one of the best known children’s books of all time and to celebrate this thirty year anniversary Walker Books is organising a 10,000 book giveaway of the iconic children’s book.

Walker Books will donate the books to communities via charitable organisations such as National Literacy Trust, Read for Good, The Reading Agency, and others.

According to research by the Department for Education, 150,000 five-year-olds in England started school last year without the reading skills expected for the age and it’s this figure that has inspired the giveaway.

Karen Lotz, Group MD at Walker Books said “At Walker we believe in the power of great storytelling and are truly saddened by the deep and lifelong inequality caused by the lack of access to books for children from deprived backgrounds. We hope that this giveaway of a true classic will help families across the country share in the joy of going on a bear hunt with their children and help to instil a true love of reading for life.”

Last week children took part in a “bear hunt” event at London Zoo and were visited by Michael Rosen to celebrate the giveaway. Each of the children are from the Tower Hamlets area of London and were presented with a free anniversary edition of the book.