Book talk: Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton (Virginia Readers' Choice, 2013-2014)

It takes a lot of energy to be on your best behavior, doesn’t it?


[Show cover.] George is a dog, and his owner Harry has left him all alone in the house.

[Act this out briefly]. “Will you be good, George?” Harry asked him.

[Switching characters.] “Yes, I’ll be very good,” said George.

[Back to your booktalking self.] But you know, all dogs have their weaknesses, just as people do. One of George’s weaknesses is cake [show page 5]. Who can resist cake? What will George do? [Invite brief guesses, and then flip the page.]

Oh, no, George! George, you are positively shoveling that whole cake right into your mouth!

Well, at least George has that temptation out of his way. He probably won’t need to eat for a while, right? So it should be smooth sailing until his owner Harry gets home, right?

[Flip the page to George encountering the cat.] Did I remember to tell you that George loves playing with cat? What dog can resist playing with cat? What will George do? [Invite brief guesses and then flip the page.]

Oh, no, George! You are creating such a scene, and Harry isn’t even back yet!

It is so hard to be good, isn’t it?

Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton. Unpaged. Candlewick Press, 2012. VRC, 2013-2014. Booktalk to K-2.

Oh No, George!