Billy the Goat's Big Breakfast

Nat the Cat has invited her two friends, Billy Goat and Hugo Hare round for a lovely breakfast. She has even baked her own bread. The dough is prepared but it needs to wait a while before it can go in the oven. Billy arrives with a hungry tummy but Nat insists he must wait for Hugo. Billy lays the table to pass the time but when Nat goes out he can’t resist drinking the juice and taking a big bite of the bread dough. Eating raw dough turns out to be a terrible idea and soon his tummy is sore and swelling as the dough rises inside him. Hugo tries to help but Billy has to admit what he’s done to Nat. Luckily, Nat is a smart little cat and she’s already made sure there’s breakfast enough for everyone.

This sing-song rhyme has a traditional feel as silly Billy Goat learns a lesson the hard way. The text is a substantial length and the bouncy rhythm makes it zip along. The illustrations too have an old-fashioned quality to them – the book feels like an old classic and children will love the large format and friendly paintings. The story ends with a song, with the notes to play along at home. Jez Alborough adds another little gem to his library of superb stories.