Mammoth Pie

Another delightful title from this writer/illustrator team. There’s a very thin and hungry caveman and, on top of the mountain, a fat mammoth. The former, Og, plots to capture the latter so as to prepare himself a hearty meal. One by one, he enlists the help of his fellow cavemen, promising them a piece of mammoth pie in return. A repetitive strain running through this part of the narrative adds to the charm of reading this aloud. The story is told in verse that rolls off the tongue – the sort of verse young children can’t wait to join in with:

‘“Ready?” said Og. So off they jogged,/ Ug and Gog, Bog, Nog and Mog./ As they jogged, they sang a song./ They sang it as they jogged along.’

The mammoth sees them coming but is completely unfazed. Og the caveman may have his fellow cavemen to help him, but the mammoth turns out to have more impressive back-up… Ross’s witty artwork conveys it all wonderfully.