ReadItDaddy's Book of the Week - Week Ending 7th February 2014 - "Oi Frog!" By Kes Gray and Jim Field (Hodder Children's Books)

Peals of cackling laughter. On measure, I'd say more funny books hit our "Book of the Week" slot - after all, laughter is the best medicine. We've been laughing long and loud at Kes Gray and Jim Field's new book "Oi, Frog!" - A book that starts off relatively quietly but builds into a frenzied cacophony of laughter and rhyming.

In "Oi, Frog" Cat has a bit of an issue. Frog is sitting in the WRONG PLACE and Cat wants to make sure that the balance of the universe is restored. Frogs, you see, sit on logs. Everyone knows that - just as they know that cats sit in mats.

Frog is puzzled, and soon wants to know what all the other animals in the world sit on. For instance, how on earth would a frog know that fleas sit on peas? Apes comfortably park their bums on grapes and hares get the comfy option of sitting in chairs.

This book is fab for introducing youngsters to the concept of rhyming, but Charlotte couldn't wait to throw some real curveballs my way.

"Alright Daddy, what does a Tiger sit on?" - Charlotte

I must admit, I was stumped (Jim Field helpfully suggested on Twitter a Large Hadron Collider but it wouldn't fit on a page spread!).

Similarly I got into trouble with meerkats. Beermats was the best I could come up with but Jim Field managed admirably!

A Meerkat on a Beermat (image - © Jim Field)

...and caterpillars (aw come on!)

For days, Charlotte has dug this book out and rhymed her socks off (Zebras most definitely sit on Debra. Poor Debra!). Great writing that's had us twisting tongues to come up with even more animals sitting on things - and it was rather nice to see the press release could handily be turned into a jumping frog, thanks to an attached diagram showing us how to make an origami one.

I can guarantee you that I'll pick Charlotte up from school today and she'll have a dozen more animal rhymes she's come up with (I just hope it's not distracting her from school work too much!). Fab and funny, a well deserved book of the week. Watch the hilarious book trailer below!




Charlotte's best bit: So what do dogs sit on? Hilarious!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Fab way to introduce your youngsters to rhyming, but they will drive you quite, quite mad by coming up with new animals who need a place to sit!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Hodder Children's Books)