book front cover - bear cubs don't do queues

Reviewed by:

Riverbank Primary School
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Bear Cubs Don’t Do Queues

What the book club told us about the book:

Bear Cubs Don’t Do Queues is a fun story about a bear cub who loves going into town but really does not like waiting in queues. While they are trying to post a parcel, the grown-up keeps the cub busy with games that get sillier and sillier and start to include everyone nearby. By the end, the cub realises that waiting in a queue can actually be fun and even wants to do it again.
Author: Maudie Smith
Illustrator: Anna Simeone
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Format: Paperback (32 pages)

Our School Review

What our pupils thought

“We read Bear Cubs Don’t Do Queues. It is about a bear cub who does not like waiting in a queue. The cub plays lots of silly games while waiting and then joins the queue again!”

“We read Bear Cubs Don’t Do Queues and I liked when the bear cub runs away and stands on top of the fountain and you have to look very closely to find him in the picture. That was funny.”

“That was a funny book. The best part was when the Bear Cub chased the pigeons, I like to do that and when he shouted BEAR CUBS DON’T DO QUEUES. I liked this book.”

Out of 5 stars, the pupils give this book:

About the book club:

We are a Primary 1 (P1C) class of 24 children who love reading. We enjoy a picture book every single day, it’s one of our favourite parts of the day. You will often find us looking at books or creating our own stories. Our classroom is always full of excitement for characters and adventures. We recently visited our local library. We loved exploring lots of new books and discovering new authors. It made us even more excited to read and share our love of stories.

What our educators thought

“Bear Cubs Don’t Do Queues by Maudie Smith is a fun and lively story that my class really enjoyed. It is about a bear cub who does not like waiting in a queue and how a grown-up turns it into fun games. My class loved it so much that they were chanting “Bear Cubs Don’t Do Queues!” for most of the day afterwards—it really struck a chord with them. The parts where they could say things out loud were a real joy.

This book would be a great choice at the start of a new school year. It can help establish classroom routines, lining up rules, and boundaries, while also encouraging patience, turn-taking, and cooperation. We used it as a springboard for inventing our own queue games, which helped the children practise waiting their turn in a fun and creative way.

Overall, it is a lively, engaging story that works well for shared reading, drama, or creative play. The children connected with the cub’s feelings and loved joining in, making it perfect for building both social skills and a love of reading from day one.”

Out of 5 stars, the educator gives this book:

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