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Bear Can't Sleep
Last updated Friday, November 7, 2025
Author: Karma Wilson
Illustrator: Jane Chapman
Date of Publication: 2018
ISBN: 1481459732
Grade Level: 2nd (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Nov. 2025
Synopsis:
It's winter, and deep in the forest, Bear should be fast asleep. But when his friends come by to check on him, they realize that Bear is still awake! They brew him hot tea and sing him lullabies, but nothing seems to work. Can Bear get to bed? Or will he be up all winter?
| Note to readers: |
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Not every student knows that bears hibernate (sleep all winter long), so be ready to explain.
Teachers choose the books we read aloud each month, and sometimes they choose books that are shorter than usual. You may choose to read aloud this book more than once, or choose to also read aloud from a prize book if the kids want to hear more story this morning!
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Do you ever have trouble falling asleep? What helps you relax? Some people get tired with a bedtime story, a warm drink, a lullaby, or breathing and counting slowly
Vocabulary:
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drifts – piles of snow
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lair – the den where the bear lives and sleeps
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hibernate – when an animal eats a lot before winter so he doesn’t do anything by sleep until spring
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frets – worries
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counting sheep – Some people imagine sheep passing by as they get tired counting them.
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lullaby – a song parents sing to their children to help them sleep
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spin a tale – tell a story
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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Why is it so important that the bear fall asleep? Why do all his friends want to help?
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The students may not be familiar with all the animals, so point them out as you read their names (badger, hare, gopher, mole …)
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Why can’t the friends sleep at the end of the book? (Don’t you always want to know how a story ends?)
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| Craft ideas: |
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Bear must be very thankful for his friends. Ask who they are thankful for. They can write a thank-you note to someone like a friend, parent or teacher.
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Print pictures of a sleeping bear. Glue it to construction paper and have the kids draw the cave, snow and trees around
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| Special activities: |
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Let the students practice snoring loudly like the bear!
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Does anyone know a lullaby they can practice singing? (Rock-a-bye Baby?)
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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