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Cover of Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton Shh! We Have a PlanChris Haughton

Shh! We Have a Plan

by Chris Haughton

Ages 3–5 Reading age 4 Picture book Set in outdoors and wild places funnygentle

Four hunters creep up on a beautiful bird with a net, and the smallest one keeps ruining the plan by saying hello.

A story about children and 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.

Nothing flagged

We have not flagged any content in this one that a parent would usually want warning about.

Our take on this book

Four would-be hunters creep through a dark blue wood trying to catch a beautiful bird, tiptoeing forward with their nets and their whispered refrain — but their elaborate plans keep going comically wrong, while the smallest of them has a much simpler and kinder idea. Chris Haughton's picture book is a triumph of stylish design and comic timing: the limited blue-and-orange palette is gorgeous, and the repeated 'Shh! We have a plan' builds a rhythm that small children adore chanting along to. The suspense and the pratfalls are entirely gentle, and the quiet lesson — that kindness catches more than nets — is delivered with a light touch. There is nothing frightening here. For a three- to five-year-old it is a wonderful read-aloud: the refrain begs to be joined in, the humour lands every time, and the beautiful, bold artwork makes it a pleasure to share. One of the most satisfyingly designed picture books of recent years.

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