Seven Days of Picture Books - Day Five

For today's picture book I chose a book that arrived in the mail only a few days ago. Readers who enjoy exploring art that is full of details and action will enjoy this title.

Oops!

Jean-Luc Fromental 

Illustrated by Joelle Jolivet

Picture Book

Ages 6 and up

Abrams, 2010, 978-0-8109-8749-4

   A family is going on vacation, and just before they leave the house Aunt Roberta – who is taking care of the family pets in their absence – announces that she cannot find her glasses. She says that she needs her glasses so that she can take her shower, and without them she cannot see what she is doing! The family members do their best to find Aunt Roberta’s glasses, but in the end, they have to leave for the airport. Hopefully Aunt Roberta will not slip on the soap in the shower.

   What the family doesn’t realize until much later is that Aunt Roberta does in fact lose the soap when she is in the shower. It flies out of the window and into the street, and it sets a series of accidents in motion. What happens is this. The soap flies out into the street and it causes a postman to swerve across the road. This causes the taxi that the family are traveling in to crash into a tree and a traffic light control box. The family is  forced, at a run, to try to find another way to get to the airport. Of course, because the traffic light control box is damaged, all the lights in the area go mad and a huge traffic jam fills the streets. This gives a thief the perfect opportunity to rob a bank, and so it goes on. Each new mishap sets another mishap in motion. Who knew an escaping bar of soup could cause so much fuss

   Readers of all ages are sure to enjoy this large format picture book. The illustrations are packed with often deliciously funny details, and readers will get completely caught up in the misadventures of this family.

   At the back of the book there is a page showing “The chain of catastrophes.” As they look at this, readers will be able to see how one catastrophe leads to another. If you think you caught everything after the first reading, think again and have another try!

This author and illustrator have teamed up to create several other delightful and enormously successful books including 365 Penguins and Panorama: A Foldout Book