Oh, No! by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Eric Rohmann (Schwartz & Wade, 2012) features a tiger in a jungle, and this tiger is not friendly. Animals are trying to escape him. Fleming’s story has a perfect read-aloud rhythm as the various animals (a frog, a mouse, a sloth, and a sun bear, among others) come to the edge of a pit and peer over, only to find themselves also falling in!
My son (age 5) loved the animals’ sounds in the rhymes: ribbity-oops, slop-slurp, and so forth. He loved yelling “Oh, no!” when it was clear the animal was stuck in the pit. Further, although it is a serious story with animals stuck in a pit and a prowling tiger eager to eat them, the rhythmic text, the predictable pattern, and the recurring chant of “oh no!” provides enough comic relief to delight the youngest of readers.
To fit the more serious tone of the animal story is Rohmann’s signature artwork. I love his detailed style with the defined lines, careful color choices, and soft feel, and this book is no exception. Oh, No! is highly recommended, either for a storytime or one-on-one reading.
This book is a 2012 Cybils nominated book.
