Oh! If Only...

by Michael Foreman

Another joyous romp from this multi-award winning picture book creator.

"Oh! If only . . .
I had stayed home that day . . .
If only . . . I hadn't met that dog . . .
If only . . . he didn't want to play . . . "

And so begins a remarkably funny chain of events as one young boy and a dog unwittingly cause greater havoc than either imagined possible!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Storytime, Dogs, Fiction, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 4, 2011

About the author

Michael has worked on magazines, book jackets, animated films, TV adverts, and even for the police, sketching criminals described by witnesses. As well as illustrating many of his own books, Michael has illustrated over a hundred books for authors such as Shakespeare, J. M. Barrie, the Brothers Grimm, Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde. Michael has travelled widely - to Africa, Japan, the Arctic Circle, China and Malaysia, the Himalayas, Siberia and New Zealand - to research his books. "I do a lot of research when I'm travelling - I find it thrilling to discover the particular 'art' of different landscapes and work them into a book. But I find I have to travel by myself, otherwise I'm constantly getting involved in other people's impressions of a place... I try to be invisible when I'm travelling, so I tend to listen in on conversations rather than participate in them - I just want to look and draw."

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and clever, but it's got a very limited story, based on an unlikely chain of events caused by a rambunctious dog and a bouncing ball. As the events get more and more outrageous, the believability is stretched to the breaking point, especially when there are apparently no repercussions to what appears to be devastating damage.
Still, the dog is amazingly cute, and it's not really the boy's fault that things got so far out of hand.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book. A boy meets a dog, who gives him a ball, and then all sorts of things happen as a consequences. A lot of bad things happen, and he keeps saying Oh, If only I didn't do that! At the end of the book, the boy says, if those things had not happened, he wouldn't have met such a great dog. A good little book.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like everything about this book. I like the watercolor and pencil textures, I like the fancy details, I like the queen with her heels in the air after her duded-up applecart gets upset. I like that you can teach narrative structure from a cute book with lots of action.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sweet tale about how misfortune can lead you to your best friend, even if he is four-legged and furry. The text is simple and short, perfect for a storytime. The illustrations are cute, but not particularly spectacular.

[Ariel Erdelyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun read!

My children and I really enjoyed this story and the illustrations are beautiful! It easily held even our youngest child's attention.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing. The sentries made my 2yo nervous and she was insistent that she wouldn't give them cuddles!

[Haaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute story. It makes you think- sometimes bad things happen. But good things wouldn't happen if they hadn't.

[Fahula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful story to read-aloud, then challenge students to write their own patterned story. I like how the story builds from bad events to a final happy conclusion.

[Wetdryvac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chain-reading an author's catalog? These just keep getting better and better, and it's telling that my favorites are the less popular ones.

[Aisha Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute story with a cause and effect lesson.

[Christine Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary
First published in Great Britain, this whimsical book relates the funny chain of events as one young boy and a dog unwittingly unleash havoc on the queen's birthday celebration. F

Notes
Michael Foreman was born in Pakefield, Suffolk on March 21, 1938. At the age of fifteen, Foreman began to study art. His first children's book was published while he was still a student. He earned his M. A. from the Royal College of Art and since then, has written and/or illustrated many children's books.
After leaving art school Michael traveled all over the world making films and television commercials. He has also worked on magazines, book jackets, animated films, and TV ads. He even worked for the police, sketching criminals described by witnesses.
Foreman has won the Kate Greenaway Award twice, the Smarties Book Prize, The Kurt Maschler Award, the Children's Book Award, the Bologna Book Prize and the Francis William's Illustration Award twice.
(Bowker Author Biography)


Subject:
Dogs -- Pictorial works -- Juvenile fiction.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh! If only . . . I had stayed home that day . . . If only . . . I hadn't met that dog . . . If only . . . he didn't want to play . . . " And so begins a remarkably funny chain of events as one young boy and a dog unwittingly unleash the greatest havoc imaginable.

This has the funny and silly story line of Adam Stower's "Slam!: A Tale of Consequences" but I much prefer "Oh, If Only..." because it has dialogue you can use to keep the reader's (or listener's) attention.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting way to tell the plot - if only the boy had stayed home, he wouldn't have met the dog... that led to the outrageous series of events. Lots of ellipses are used, so good for a writing structure lesson. Works for Core Standard of Key Ideas & Details to have listeners retell what happened, as each "if only" leads to another event, and could be a cool writing mentor text.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a simple, progressive story, with an absolutely adorable ending. Just when you think things are about as bad as they can be for the little boy, he changes his point of view and has a very good day indeed.

The illustrations, especially the one featuring the queen, are absolutely, irreverently perfect.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cumulative story in which a boy tells readers his most embarrassing moment and then dwells on the positives.

Watercolor and pastel illustrations become more and more detailed as the story builds. What a great read aloud!

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age: Kindergarten-second grade
Animals: Dog

A fun use of a cumulative tale to illustrate a common English phrase. This would be a great book for classrooms to follow up with the students' own "if only" tale.

[Claudia Fett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh! If Only.... by Michael Foreman is a delightful book that could be used as a mentor text. This could also be compared to a "that's good, no that's bad" story. Children in grades K-2 will reveal in the story. Children in grades 2-4 could make the idea into their own story of misfortune.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foreman’s cheerful pastel and watercolor illustrations enliven his tale of a young boy’s encounter with a friendly dog and a ball that leads to disastrous consequences for the queen’s birthday celebration, and worldwide embarrassment for him.

[Dee-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, especially for reading to my almost 7 year old son. Fun story, fast paced, witty and it evoked a few laughs and a sigh at the end.

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the domino effect created whilet playing fetch with a dog that destroys (a frilly knickers) Queen's birthday.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

a book featuring a specific chain of events that lead to a lot of problems. kids could repeat the "if only"

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great into to writing prompt for ele readers/writers. What if?.....

[Kate Hastings]

Cause and effect.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

What fun, a great book for learning what happens next, could be used for making inferences, also a great bit at the end relates to point of view.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A companion to Fortunately? Great writing prompt here: If only the boy hadn't met the dog, and if only the dog hadn't had a ball, and if only... etc. Great ending with a silver lining!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but a better cause and effect book would be Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples Ears. This has heart, though, and if the kids like it, that's what counts.

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful, laugh out loud book. The illustrations were wonderful, and what child doesn't love a book about a great dog.

Classroom Connection
Cause and effect

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This increasing pile of calamities is pure slapstick that young readers will be delighted by.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One thing leads to another.