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Friday, October 26, 2012

Oh, No! Written by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Eric Rohmann. Schwartz & Wade, Random House. 2012. $20.99 ages 3 and up


"Tiger narrowed his eyes
and licked his teeth.
He smiled at the sight of
his tasty feast.
Drawled Tiger, "I've come
to help you out."

Oh,no!"

Oh, yes! If you are looking for great fun when you read aloud to your children today (or any day), look no further. You will want to read this book over and over again, and to pore over its beautifully designed prints. Oh, and your children will love it, too.

It begins on the cover with a menacing tiger prowling through the bamboo jungle, as an anxious
wide-eyed loris, a concerned mouse and an apprehensive frog watch from behind title and summary boards. The tiger takes a closer look at the frog whose eyes are closed in hopes the predator can't see him, and the chase is on. Just before capture and a quick tiger snack:

"Frog fell into a deep, deep hole.
              Ribbit-oops!
                         Ribbit-oops!
Frog fell into a deep, deep hole.
                                             Ribbit-oops!"

He can't get out! Tiger is so unconcerned that he has a little snooze (perhaps to lie in wait for more prey and an even  more satisfying meal).  Mouse tries to help and meets the same fate as Frog. Now, there's a communal 'Oh, no!' from the depths of the hole. Luckily, Loris hears and does her best to initiate a rescue. Her allergies get the better of her; she sneezes and falls into the pit, too. Sun Bear gets in on the action, lowering a huge branch in hopes of pulling them out. Snap goes the branch, and he crash lands amongst his friends. Finally, a fun-loving monkey smacks into the tree above and finds himself the final captive in the tiger's trap!

As Tiger leers, and the animals anticipate their demise, the ground begins to shake:

"Then the ground bumble-rumbled and began to shake.
                             BA-BOOM!
                   BA-BOOM!
The ground bumble-rumbled and began to quake.
                             BA-BOOM!
The ground bumble-rumbled and quake-shake-quaked.
And look who came to help them escape...."

With release comes a certain sense of swagger. When Tiger begs for help to get out of the pit himself, the answer is short and sweet: Oh, no!

Then, as we see the tiger's front paws come up over the rim of the hole, we know that 'it ain't over' yet. But, that's another story!

What a stunning collaboration! The great rhythmic language and suspense of the text created by Candace Fleming is matched by the printmaking prowess of Eric Rohmann. She uses repetitive sounds and collective shouts of dismay to tell her tale. He uses a rich earthy palette to create the setting and the jungle minions who people it. I love his use of perspective to show the depth of the cavernous pit; then his use of panels to show movement as each animal attempts rescue. 

I see much-deserved awards on the horizon! It's a 'keeper', Erin!

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