- Picture Books
- Ages 3–6
- Comedy
Oops!
Everyone knows you should say sorry when you make a mistake, but when Clare forgets, things spiral wildly out of control, from dragons and trolls to a flotilla of furious fishermen. A riotous, fast-paced picture book about the power of one small word.
- Best for3–6
- FormatPicture
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Irreverent
- Warm
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Everyone knows that you should ALWAYS say sorry when you make a mistake. But when Clare forgets this very important rule (oops!), things start to spiral wildly, ridiculously out of control. One small unspoken 'sorry' snowballs into utter chaos, until Clare finds herself facing down dragons, trolls, polar explorers and a whole flotilla of extremely furious fishermen, all standing between her and putting things right. Can she remember the one little word that could fix everything before it's too late? Simon Philip's fast, funny, read-aloud text and Nathan Reed's gloriously chaotic illustrations turn a simple lesson about manners into a laugh-out-loud, ever-escalating adventure. Bold, silly and packed with visual jokes to spot on every page, Oops! proves that saying sorry really can make a very big difference, and has enormous fun getting to the point. A perfect noisy, giggly read for anyone who loves comic mayhem with a warm heart underneath.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A loud, funny read-aloud for 3-6s, best performed with plenty of energy. The packed, chaotic pictures reward re-reading, and beginning readers of 5-7 can enjoy the punchy text once the jokes have landed aloud first.
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- Best fit · 3–6
- Read aloud · 3–6
- Independent · 5–7
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny read aloud
- Manners
- Comic chaos
- Visual jokes
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The idea that forgetting to say sorry could summon dragons, trolls and a boatload of furious fishermen is gloriously silly, and the mayhem builds bigger on every page. There's tons to spot in the pictures, and it's begging to be read aloud loudly.
- Breaking the rules safely
- Surviving danger
Why parents love it
Simon Philip and Nathan Reed sneak a genuine lesson about saying sorry inside a fast, funny, escalating romp. The read-aloud rhythm is a joy to perform, the visual gags reward repeat reads, and children get the message through laughter rather than lecture.
- Shared humour
- Beautiful illustrations
- Quick to read
About the creators
About the creators.
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