Book study: We're going on a bear hunt

This picture book was first published in 1989 and is regarded as many as a classic by many within the world of children's literature. I had read this prior to my visit to Bath mainly to know something about Michael Rosen but never got around to blogging about it.
I personally find this book very repetitive but I can imagine it working well with a small group of children who would be able to join in very easily. The words swishy swashy, splash splosh etc will not only build children's vocabulary but they sound fun and could be acted out. However this is not the type of book I would wish to write myself although it is always good to look at stuff that may not be to my taste. This broadens my horizons as an artist as to what others have done and the approaches they have taken. This was highlighted to me even more on attending the Michael Rosen event in Bath. I found that the event became very repetitive as did the child next to me that kept asking his mother when it would be finished. The Q & A at the end was far more interesting to me as I got more sense of Michael's personality.
The illustrations within this book suit the story, the watercolours show a subtlety which runs through the text. The change from watercolour to almost sketch like drawings are what I found the most interesting. The give an insight to how Helen Oxenbury may work and show her talents with different mediums.
This has given me an idea for my own project. If a picture book ends up being my final product then I may try to create a book that demonstrates the processes involved in creating the art. This stems from me speaking to a few commissioning editors and author/illustrators previously who explained to me that publishers don't really want to see completed books as they have less influence on the overall product. Artists are more likely to be accommodating when asked to make changes as sketches may not be as precious to them as finished works. They would prefer to see the written story, a few finished illustrations and perhaps a dummy copy to get a feel for the page turning experience. The book could begin with rough sketches as in thumbnail quality, then progress through showing tone, colour perhaps a finished drawing know by the term cartoon used by old masters such as Maclise. These could lead up to more finished pieces. This book would then not only tell the story I want but also show how the art was created for the book itself. This probably comes from the fact that I personally enjoy seeing finished works but usually find the persons sketchbook far more interesting.
The images below show the two different styles found within the book I have just discussed.