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Oh No, George!Chris Haughton
Oh No, George!
by Chris Haughton
George promises to be good while his owner is out. Then he sees the cake, and the cat, and the flowerbed.
A story about animals, funny and gentle in tone. We would put it with children of 3–5, and at a reading age of about 4 for reading alone.
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Our take on this book
George the dog truly means to be good while his owner Harry is out — he promises — but then he spots the cake, and the cat, and the freshly dug flowerbed, and each time the book asks the reader what George will do, the temptation is simply too much. Chris Haughton's picture book is built on a beautifully simple hook: every child knows the feeling of wanting to be good and being ambushed by an urge, and George's stricken face makes the struggle both funny and oddly touching. The bold, flat, stylish art and the repeated question invite little listeners to shout their predictions. There is nothing remotely frightening here; the stakes are a ruined cake and a guilty dog. For a three- to five-year-old it is a warm, funny read-aloud about self-control and second chances, and George's ongoing battle with his own impulses is something a small child recognises entirely.
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