I am a big fan of the Rod Campbell books for children, and I think they are just the perfect books for my 1 month old daughter who is currently mad about lift the flap books, as well as animals. She already has a couple of the Rod Campbell books and they are a real favourite at bedtime, both of which revolve around animals, which most of Campbell's books seem to. This 'Oh Dear!' book by Rod Campbell, was one that my daughter received about a month ago, as an early early Christmas present from a family friend who was visiting from a substantial distance. Given how many gifts my daughter is likely to receive on Christmas day, we thought it would be better if she opened the gift at the time, and inside were two new Rod Campbell books. It was right up her alley!

The books tells the story of a little boy named Buster, which I am pretty sure appears in some of Rod Campbell's other books. Buster is staying at his grandmother's house, and she happens to live on a farm, hence the story revolving around animals, and in particular, farm animals. Buster's grandmother asks him to go and get some eggs for breakfast, and Buster dutifully takes his basket and goes to fetch the eggs. THe problem is that he can't quite remember where to get the egg, or which animal provides the eggs. So, the book follows Buster as he goes around the farm, looking in at the different animals to see if there are any eggs. THis is where a child can lift the flap to see what animal is there. Once each animal has been identified by lifting the flap, the text states that there are 'no eggs', followed by 'oh dear' which is where the title comes from. The final lift the flap, actually involves lifting two different pictures, one on top of the other, firstly the hen hutch, then lifting the hen itself to reveal two eggs.

I know there are probably some who don't like the repetitiveness of children's books, but to be honest, I think it is quite an important part, as children can pick up the language easier through the repitition. My daughter already knows and can use the phrase 'oh dear' so this is very familiar to her and the fact that she loves the animals on a farm and learning the noises that they make, mean this book is a real winner and a big favourite, ever since it was given to her.

THis is a lovely book for young toddlers, particularly those who like the lift the flap element and love farm animals. Rod Campbell has produced yet another brilliant book for little toddlers.