Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

Hello! My name is Caroline Chelemer and I am currently working towards a Master's Degree in Elementary Education.  After this summer I will be halfway done- woohoo! I also recently completed my sixth year of teaching.  I taught first grade for five years and spent this past school year teaching third grade.  At first I was skeptical about changing grade levels but I have since found that third grade is a perfect fit for this time in my life.  In addition, I am always looking for new ways to help my students develop a love for reading.  I believe that children's literature is a powerful tool for engaging even the most skeptical readers. 

As a young child my mom used to read to me every night.  A book that impacted my life at an early age was Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? written by Bill Martin and illustrated by Eric Carle.  One reason this book holds a special place in my heart is it is one of the earliest memories I have of reading.  The purpose of this book is to help very young children identify animals and the noises they make.  As a three-year-old child I was completely captivated by the colorful illustrations in this book and could look at them for hours on end.  Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? was also the first book I learned how to "read".  I remember "reading" to my mom after memorizing the whole book start to finish.  I felt so proud! This book will always hold a special place in my heart because it sparked my love for reading.