Oh Dear! 35th Anniversary

This is a wonderful "lift the flap" book for young children, ages 15 months through four. Toddlers, especially want to hear it again and again. I am thrilled to have found a copy of this children's classic, as it has been out of print for years. As a teacher, I delighted in hearing: "Read it again!" We should know that young children who are read to for at least twenty minutes a day, from birth, will become better readers in their elementary years. Get a hold of Oh, Dear!

As with many children's books simple concepts normally produce the best books. In this book Buster is staying on Granny's farm and one morning she asks Buster to get some eggs - but where will Buster and Teddy find them? The book then goes to all the different animals on the farm, which are hidden on each page behind card doors. Toddlers love lifting these card doors to reveal the animals behind. You will find all the farm favourites in this book including a sheep, a pig, a cow, a horse, ducks, a dog, a cat and even a little tiny mouse. Eventually you will find that elusive chicken and the eggs. Along the way there is lots of scope for enhancing the book by doing the animal sounds. At first you may find that your toddler listens carefully as you make the animal sounds, but then you will have the joy of hearing your toddler copying the sounds themselves. This is a robust board book which can withstand lots of wear and tear, though the flaps are a little more fragile. It is a very colourful book and the pictures are very well presented. Lots of five star fun down on the farm.

Preschoolers love this book. I've read it to groups in the library - it's perfect for the preschool classroom too as well as one-to-one between parent and child. Buster visits grandmother's farm and goes to look for some eggs. He visits the animals, hidden under flaps, and asks for eggs - the horse, the cow the pig and so one until he finally finds an egg for his breakfast under the hen. Each time (until the end of course) the refrain "no eggs here. Oh Dear!" is repeated and children soon catch on and join in. I hope the publisher will reprint this book, it deserves a long and happy life. A great companion for this book in the classroom would be Ruth Heller's CHICKENS AREN'T THE ONLY ONES.