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Books by Theme » Life Skills » Picture Books that Teach Responsibility: The Stunning THREE BEARS IN A BOAT

Picture Books that Teach Responsibility: The Stunning THREE BEARS IN A BOAT

By Lauren Bercuson ·  Published: May 20, 2016 ·  Modified: Mar 20, 2023 ·  This post may contain affiliate links

We love books that teach responsibility to children, and this is one of my very favorites! THREE BEARS IN A BOAT is stunning, important, and a joy to read. We can’t get enough!


Books that Teach Responsibility, the gorgeous Three Bears in a Boat!

THREE BEARS IN A BOAT, by David Soman, received significant buzz a while back, and I’ve been meaning to get it forever. You can imagine my delight when I picked it out of the stacks at the library last week! After bringing this beauty home, I could not believe we hadn’t read it sooner. Suffice it to say that good things come to those who wait. The illustrations adorning these pages are stunning (one spread of the bears sailing on the open seas is so gorgeous it makes you want to dive right into the water), and I love the important theme of this story. A picture book that teaches responsibility in a non-didactic way with exquisite illustrations? You know that gets two trunks up in our book!

THREE BEARS IN A BOAT is a Beautiful Picture Book that Teaches Responsibility and the Importance of Accountability

THREE BEARS IN A BOAT begins with three young bears desperately attempting to reach a jar of honey. Of course their efforts fail them, and instead of snacking on honey, they cause their mother’s beloved blue seashell to crash to the floor where it ends up in pieces. The bears are terrified of upsetting their mother, and so begins an epic boating quest to find a replacement shell- hopefully before mom realizes her favorite one is missing. Will they be successful? Maybe, if they can stop blaming each other for the accident first…

THREE BEARS IN A BOAT is made all the more special by remarkable illustrations that truly enhance the narrative. Bookish parents will love the surprises the pictures contain as the bears ask sailors (Huck Finn, anyone?!?) on boat after boat for assistance with their search. Brilliant full page spreads heighten the tension where necessary (an eye-popping, raging thunderstorm hits just as the bears argue about who really caused the shell to fall off the mantle) and then restore peace when the narrative calms and the bears take responsibility for their individual parts in the accident.

The combination of the text and illustrations in THREE BEARS IN A BOAT results in an expressive and emotive story, imparting to even the tiniest readers that though it may be intimidating, owning up to your actions and being honest with yourself and those around you is truly the best policy. And wouldn’t you know it? This is just what we are working on right now in our house. Cheers to THREE BEARS IN A BOAT!

RELATED: We’ve got all the best children’s books for you on Happily Ever Elephants, so be sure to check them out!

Want the book? Get it here! Three Bears in a Boat, by David Soman

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Lauren

Hi! I’m Lauren. I’m a boy mom, former attorney, current elementary school librarian, and moderator of book clubs for kids around the country. My goal is to make storytime with your children both magical and meaningful. Welcome! LEARN MORE 

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