Overview

Sometimes big things have very small beginnings. 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.

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9781467712132

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Reviews

Take one playful dog, add a red ball, and the result is mischief. A blond boy in a striped shirt and white tennies tells his woeful but hilarious tale, which begins when he encounters an eager mutt with a little red ball in its mouth: 'If only...I hadn't met that dog....' The duo plays a bit, then the ball bounces down a hill and into a gang of stray cats being fed by a kindly old lady in a funny hat. The unsettled cats frighten a flock of birds, who disrupt a parade of uniformed horsemen. Both mounts and men take a tumble, and worst of all, they upset the Queen in her carriage. The dog continues to chase the ball past sentries and servants and into the palace, wrecking carpets and a birthday cake and 'lots of fancy stuff.' The dog returns the ball to the little boy, and the whole mess is caught on camera and telecast around the 'WHOLE WIDE WORLD.' The boy's cheeks turn red with embarrassment. If only he'd stayed home....But if he had stayed home that day, he'd never have met this great dog! Foreman's minimal text sometimes tumbles and dances across the page, and his watercolor-and-pastel illustrations capture both motion and dumbstruck faces hilariously. A blithe romp. --Kirkus Reviews --Journal http: //www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/books.php?id=24965 Book Review By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Oh! If Only . . . Michael Foreman Sometimes it is the little things that cascade out of control and cause big time chaos. A little thing can be practicing soccer with a red ball that gets away from the boy. A dog chases after it and frightens an old lady's cats, who then frighten the birds, who spook the horses in a parade, and ruin the Queen's birthday. Guess what? With chaos all around, the dog is still chasing the red ball into the palace where he demolishes the birthday cake and other fancy stuff. And just when the boy thought he could forget the whole crazy incident, the dog returns with the red ball, and the media is there to cover his embarrassment. This frolicsome children's picture book is written and illustrated by Michael Foreman and designed for children from 4 to 9 years old. Although we want to control things and have them happen in the way we want them to happen, we must take whatever comes our way and make the best of it. This is how we develop resilience. --Blog A boy recounts a catastrophic chain of events that stem from a seemingly innocent encounter with a dog and a ball. As they begin to play together, the boy bemoans, 'If only...I was better at soccer and hadn't tried to show off..., ' as the ball gets away from him, frightening cats, birds, and horses and disrupting a parade for the Queen's birthday. Worst of all, once the playful dog has wreaked havoc in the palace, he brings the ball right back to the boy...on camera. As families around the world are shown gathering around TVs to point at his red, embarrassed face, the boy wishes he had stayed at home, but if he had, he says, 'I would never have met this great dog!' The plaintive refrain carries the story forward swiftly as one event unfolds into another. The ellipses build suspense, indicating that there is more action, and disaster, to come. The watercolor and pastel illustrations complement the text, and vice versa, with the lines of text undulating or bouncing with the action. Nearly every page is full of movement as animals fly or scamper away, and bright primary colors highlight focal points. Kids will enjoy the increasing destruction and silliness, while the minimal text and refrain make this a good read-aloud. A fun choice for those who enjoyed Remy Charlip's Fortunately (Parents' Magazine Pr., 1964), and Allan Ahlberg's Previously (Candlewick, 2007). --School Library Journal --Journal

A boy recounts a catastrophic chain of events that stem from a seemingly innocent encounter with a dog and a ball. As they begin to play together, the boy bemoans, 'If only...I was better at soccer and hadn't tried to show off..., ' as the ball gets away from him, frightening cats, birds, and horses and disrupting a parade for the Queen's birthday. Worst of all, once the playful dog has wreaked havoc in the palace, he brings the ball right back to the boy...on camera. As families around the world are shown gathering around TVs to point at his red, embarrassed face, the boy wishes he had stayed at home, but if he had, he says, 'I would never have met this great dog!' The plaintive refrain carries the story forward swiftly as one event unfolds into another. The ellipses build suspense, indicating that there is more action, and disaster, to come. The watercolor and pastel illustrations complement the text, and vice versa, with the lines of text undulating or bouncing with the action. Nearly every page is full of movement as animals fly or scamper away, and bright primary colors highlight focal points. Kids will enjoy the increasing destruction and silliness, while the minimal text and refrain make this a good read-aloud. A fun choice for those who enjoyed Remy Charlip's Fortunately (Parents' Magazine Pr., 1964), and Allan Ahlberg's Previously (Candlewick, 2007). --School Library Journal --Journal Take one playful dog, add a red ball, and the result is mischief. A blond boy in a striped shirt and white tennies tells his woeful but hilarious tale, which begins when he encounters an eager mutt with a little red ball in its mouth: 'If only...I hadn't met that dog....' The duo plays a bit, then the ball bounces down a hill and into a gang of stray cats being fed by a kindly old lady in a funny hat. The unsettled cats frighten a flock of birds, who disrupt a parade of uniformed horsemen. Both mounts and men take a tumble, and worst of all, they upset the Queen in her carriage. The dog continues to chase the ball past sentries and servants and into the palace, wrecking carpets and a birthday cake and 'lots of fancy stuff.' The dog returns the ball to the little boy, and the whole mess is caught on camera and telecast around the 'WHOLE WIDE WORLD.' The boy's cheeks turn red with embarrassment. If only he'd stayed home....But if he had stayed home that day, he'd never have met this great dog! Foreman's minimal text sometimes tumbles and dances across the page, and his watercolor-and-pastel illustrations capture both motion and dumbstruck faces hilariously. A blithe romp. --Kirkus Reviews --Journal http: //www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/books.php?id=24965 Book Review By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Oh! If Only . . . Michael Foreman Sometimes it is the little things that cascade out of control and cause big time chaos. A little thing can be practicing soccer with a red ball that gets away from the boy. A dog chases after it and frightens an old lady's cats, who then frighten the birds, who spook the horses in a parade, and ruin the Queen's birthday. Guess what? With chaos all around, the dog is still chasing the red ball into the palace where he demolishes the birthday cake and other fancy stuff. And just when the boy thought he could forget the whole crazy incident, the dog returns with the red ball, and the media is there to cover his embarrassment. This frolicsome children's picture book is written and illustrated by Michael Foreman and designed for children from 4 to 9 years old. Although we want to control things and have them happen in the way we want them to happen, we must take whatever comes our way and make the best of it. This is how we develop resilience. --Blog

Take one playful dog, add a red ball, and the result is mischief. A blond boy in a striped shirt and white tennies tells his woeful but hilarious tale, which begins when he encounters an eager mutt with a little red ball in its mouth: 'If only...I hadn't met that dog....' The duo plays a bit, then the ball bounces down a hill and into a gang of stray cats being fed by a kindly old lady in a funny hat. The unsettled cats frighten a flock of birds, who disrupt a parade of uniformed horsemen. Both mounts and men take a tumble, and worst of all, they upset the Queen in her carriage. The dog continues to chase the ball past sentries and servants and into the palace, wrecking carpets and a birthday cake and 'lots of fancy stuff.' The dog returns the ball to the little boy, and the whole mess is caught on camera and telecast around the 'WHOLE WIDE WORLD.' The boy's cheeks turn red with embarrassment. If only he'd stayed home....But if he had stayed home that day, he'd never have met this great dog! Foreman's minimal text sometimes tumbles and dances across the page, and his watercolor-and-pastel illustrations capture both motion and dumbstruck faces hilariously. A blithe romp. --Kirkus Reviews --Journal A boy recounts a catastrophic chain of events that stem from a seemingly innocent encounter with a dog and a ball. As they begin to play together, the boy bemoans, 'If only...I was better at soccer and hadn't tried to show off..., ' as the ball gets away from him, frightening cats, birds, and horses and disrupting a parade for the Queen's birthday. Worst of all, once the playful dog has wreaked havoc in the palace, he brings the ball right back to the boy...on camera. As families around the world are shown gathering around TVs to point at his red, embarrassed face, the boy wishes he had stayed at home, but if he had, he says, 'I would never have met this great dog!' The plaintive refrain carries the story forward swiftly as one event unfolds into another. The ellipses build suspense, indicating that there is more action, and disaster, to come. The watercolor and pastel illustrations complement the text, and vice versa, with the lines of text undulating or bouncing with the action. Nearly every page is full of movement as animals fly or scamper away, and bright primary colors highlight focal points. Kids will enjoy the increasing destruction and silliness, while the minimal text and refrain make this a good read-aloud. A fun choice for those who enjoyed Remy Charlip's Fortunately (Parents' Magazine Pr., 1964), and Allan Ahlberg's Previously (Candlewick, 2007). --School Library Journal --Journal http: //www.spiritualityandpractice.com/books/books.php?id=24965 Book Review By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Oh! If Only . . . Michael Foreman Sometimes it is the little things that cascade out of control and cause big time chaos. A little thing can be practicing soccer with a red ball that gets away from the boy. A dog chases after it and frightens an old lady's cats, who then frighten the birds, who spook the horses in a parade, and ruin the Queen's birthday. Guess what? With chaos all around, the dog is still chasing the red ball into the palace where he demolishes the birthday cake and other fancy stuff. And just when the boy thought he could forget the whole crazy incident, the dog returns with the red ball, and the media is there to cover his embarrassment. This frolicsome children's picture book is written and illustrated by Michael Foreman and designed for children from 4 to 9 years old. Although we want to control things and have them happen in the way we want them to happen, we must take whatever comes our way and make the best of it. This is how we develop resilience. --Blog

Author Information

Michael Foreman is an award-winning author. He has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and has been the UK nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award twice. His books are published all over the world. He lives in the UK. Michael Foreman is an award-winning author. He has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice and has been the UK nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award twice. His books are published all over the world. He lives in the UK.

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