Oh Dear!
This follows the same logic as Dear Zoo by the same author: Buster explores a farm looking for eggs and finds the wrong animals along the way. If your child has already worn out Dear Zoo, this offers a slightly longer game with the same rules.
Oh Dear! by Rod Campbell is estimated to take about 4 minutes to read aloud (130 words, about 1 sentence a page), and it lands best with children aged 0-3.
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- Estimated read-aloud time
- about 4 minutesEstimated read-aloud time
- Estimated word count
- 130Our estimate
- Sentences per page
- 1Sentence per page
- Re-read tolerance
- 5/5still good at forty
- Vocabulary level
- 2/5everyday words
- Best for
- Ages 0-3Our editorial fit
Our review
This book uses a guessing game format where a character searches for something on a farm but finds the wrong animal each time. It relies on a predictable, repetitive structure that children can easily anticipate.
It is a great choice for children who already enjoy similar pattern-based books. The "Oh dear!" refrain adds an element of fun to the repeated unsuccessful search.
Before you buy it
The coop doors and flaps shed easily and require quite a bit of force to open, which is why they tend to be the first parts to go.
Themes
- farm
- guessing
- flaps
- searching
Books like Oh Dear!
Matched by refrain, density, length, and listener—not just the subject.
Questions parents ask
How long does it take to read Oh Dear! aloud?
About 4 minutes at an unhurried pace, including a standard allowance for page turns, pictures and participation, from a word count of 130. Stopping for a longer conversation on every page will add more time.
What age is Oh Dear! actually for?
Ages 0-3 in our testing, which is narrower than the publisher's range. With 1 sentence a page and vocabulary at 2 out of 5, it asks for that much attention span and no more.
Does Oh Dear! survive being read on repeat?
Yes - this is one of the few that is still fine on the fortieth reading, which is why it scores 5 out of 5 with us.
Is Oh Dear! a good book for a child who will not sit still?
It helps that it has a refrain a child can join in with, and it asks the child questions to answer out loud. Those three features are what keep a wriggling toddler listening, far more than the subject matter does.
Will my child memorise Oh Dear!?
Probably, and fast. The book leans on a repeated refrain, and at 5 out of 5 for re-read tolerance it survives the nightly repeats that get a book memorised. Expect your child to chant the pattern back before they can actually read.
Can a beginning reader read Oh Dear! on their own?
It is closer than most picture books. With 1 sentence a page and plain vocabulary (2 out of 5), a confident early reader can attempt it, though it is written to be read aloud first.
What themes does Oh Dear! cover?
We tag it with farm, guessing, flaps and searching. Those are the threads that actually run through the book, not just the ones on the cover, which is how it earns its place on our themed lists rather than a keyword match.
Lists Oh Dear! is on
48 reviewed booksBooks for 1 Year OldsFind board books, touch-and-feel books, and flaps for 1 year olds. Includes realistic read-aloud times and age-appropriate selections.
45 reviewed booksBest Books to Read to ToddlersA curated list of books for ages one to three. Sorted by interaction, speed, and bedtime utility, with estimated read-aloud times for every book.- 28 reviewed booksBooks for an 18 Month OldFind 28 books for eighteen-month-olds. We look for titles with simple naming, fun refrains, and short read-aloud times.