Oh Dear, Look What I Got!

‘Oh dear – look what I got!’ – this is the refrain that runs through the book as a boy attempts to get a carrot. His quest finds him looking for a variety of items each leading to the acquisition of something quite different (and slightly ridiculous). Will he ever succeed in his original errand?

Michael Rosen looks to a tradition familiar from such nursery and folk favourites as Old Mother Hubbard and Dame Wiggins of Lee; a cumulative adventure that will end with a party. His use of rhythm, rhyme and repetition results in a very spare text that demands to be read aloud with enthusiasm, inviting participation from listeners. This is a text that will engage a young audience from birth; none of the objects acquired by the young protagonist are unfamiliar – and the rhyming narrative is memorable. It is not just the words. Here is a real partnership as Helen Oxenbury adds a visual narrative. Her images both mirror the text and extend it. We meet our boy as we open the cover of the book, striding along cheerfully, whistling. We see his confusion – frustration even – as he is offered ever more unwanted items and animals. As the procession grows, we reach that moment of chaos familiar to all occasions involving excited small children. Then comes the resolution – and a joyous party. Finally the characters leave in an orderly fashion marching out of the book as we close the back cover. Oxenbury’s images are clear, beautifully placed across each spread which uses the white space to great effect allowing a perfect integration of text and image. The draughtsmanship is exceptional. A clever use of framing for the repetition in the storytelling – ‘I went to the shop/to get me a…’ emphasises the humour and adds to the suspense. This is repetition with a purpose. To match the mastery of author and illustrator, the production values are excellent.. In Oh Dear, Look What I Got we see a classic combination of words and image creating a picture book that demands to be read over and over again.