Spotted Bear: A Rocky Mountain Folktale

I used this book to introduce the lesson and stimulate a discussion of animal differences --- by reading, Spotted Bear: A Rocky Mountain Folktale by Hanneke Ippisch, drawing from the students descriptions and predictions of animals or animal evidence such as feathers, tracks, and sounds or animal behaviors and habitats. The tale tells a story about how the spotted bear got its spots but the illustrations by IHedvig Rappe- Flowerstell so much more. Animals pictured in this book are red squirrel, black bear, great horned owl, deer mouse, gray jay, ladybug beetle, monarch butterfly, raccoon, American crow, red fox, western tanager, common nighthawk, striped hawk, bull snake, deerfly, moose, elk, bison, mule deer, mountain goat, bobcat. red squirrel, ord kangaroo rat, jackrabbit, porcupine, pileated woodpecker, bald eagle, red tailed hawk, northern pigmy-owl, mountain cottontail, carpenter ant, grasshopper, gray wolf, pika, polyphemus moth and cocoon, little brown myotis, grizzly bear, western screech owl, and underwing moth. Plant life from animal habitats pictured in the book are bearberry, ponderosa pine, calyso orchid or fairy slipper, Oregon grape or holly grape, shooting star, trillium, glacier lily, clematis, mountain bluebell, wild rose or prairie rose, huckeberry, birch trees, beargrass, rose hips, hokecherry, evening primrose, and morel mushrooms, Other natural phenomena, elements of nature or creations from nature illustrated in this book are northern lights or Aurora Borealis; Ursa Major; bear claw necklace; arrowheads; pine cones; tracks of a moose, a deer, a bear, a badger, a deer mouse, a small bird, a cottontail, a bobcat and a mountain lion; as well as bear facts and more bear tracks. The book includes a seven page special "Notes About the Art" section identifying what is in the pictures with information about the plants and animals - where they live, what they eat or what eats them, what sounds they make, and other interesting things. This book is definitely a great book to build background as well as to generate discussions to access prior knowledge.

A folk tale with origins seemingly as endless as there are places which serve as habitat for bears. My 5-year old daughter wants to read it every night and to look carefully at the illustrator's magnificent and bright nature work, attempting to find any hidden surprises. The story appears to be for children (and it's fantastic at that level), but the spiritual touch, as well as the obvious Native American influence, bring it well within the realm of interest, fascination and embracing by adults, too.