THE BEAR CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE
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THE BEAR CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE

When I'm driving with the family, we sometimes sing. When I sing, I like to drift into parody. This idea came up on a trip to San Diego in 1999.

These are my first notes, when I jotted down the idea:

The bear went over the mountain

To see what he could see.

And what do you think the bear saw?

Me.

eat what he could eat?

meat

play what he could play?

croquet

etc.

The writing flowed fairly easily.

Here's a draft near the end, almost—but not quite—as published.

THE BEAR CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE

by Rick Walton

(a picture book)

(Illustration note: The bear is a clumsy, goofy, friendly oaf with lots of emotion.)

Page 1

The bear came over to my house

To see what he could see.

And what do you think the bear saw?

Page 2-3

Me!

The bear came over to my house

To bring what he could bring.

And what do you think the bear brought?

Page 4-5

A swing.

(Illustration note: Bear sets the swing up in a tall tree.)

The bear came over to my house

To do what he could do.

And what do you think the bear did?

Page 6-7

He flew.

(Illustration note: The bear flies out of the swing.)

The bear came over to my house

To get what he could get.

And what do you think the bear got?

Page 8-9

Wet.

(Illustration note: The bear lands in a dirty pond that pigs are playing in.)

The bear came over to my house

To think what he could think.

And what do you think the bear thought?

Page 10-11

I stink!

(Illustration note: the "I stink!" is in a thought bubble coming from the bear.)

The bear came over to my house

To seek what he could seek.

And what do you think the bear sought?

Page 12-13

A creek.

(Illustration note: The bear washes the hog wallow off his body.)

The bear came over to my house

To wake what he could wake.

And what do you think the bear woke?

Page 14-15

A snake!

(Illustration note: The bear is jumping out of the river in terror, running from the snake.)

The bear came over to my house

To leap what he could leap.

And what do you think the bear leapt?

(Illustration Note: The bear is heading from the creek to the house.)

Page 16-17

Sheep.

(Illustration Note: The bear, still running from the snake, is in the air, leaping over the sheep.)

The bear came over to my house

To break what he could break.

And what do you think the bear broke?

Page 18-19

A rake.

(Illustration Note: At the end of his leap, the bear lands on a rake, breaking it in two.)

The bear came over to my house

To hear what he could hear.

And what do you think the bear heard?

Page 20-21

"Oh dear!"

(Illustration note: The kid is the speaker, and sympathically gives the bear a hand up.)

The bear came over to my house

To eat what he could eat.

And what do you think the bear ate?

Page 22-23

A treat!

(Illustration note: The kid, to console the bear, has taken him into the kitchen and offered him ice cream, or something else to eat. The bear is leaning precariously on his chair. The kid is getting the bear something quiet and safe to do, paper and crayons for drawing.)

The bear came over to my house

To draw what he could draw.

And what do you think the bear drew?

Page 24-25

His paw.

(Illustration note: The bear's ice cream bowl is shoved to the side, and the bear is drawing a picture of his paw. He is now sitting on his chair in a different very precarious position.)

The bear came over to my house

To wear what he could wear.

And what do you think the bear wore?

Page 26-27

A chair.

(Illustration note: The bear has flipped over on his chair, and the chair is now sitting on his head.)

The bear came over to my house

To write what he could write.

And what do you think the bear wrote?

Page 28

Good night!

(Illustration note: Written with crayon on drawing paper. The bear is gone.)

I e-mailed the story to Putnam. Two days later they e-mailed back an enthusiastic acceptance. The next day they e-mailed me the name of the illustrator—James Warhola, who they'd had blocked in to do a book, but hadn't found the right manuscript for him.

I wish all my sales were this easy.

You can find more on THE BEAR CAME OVER TO MY HOUSE at www.rickwalton.com/books/bearcame.htm.

Posted in April, 2008