Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Family Favourites with Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
Primary Times chats with beloved author–illustrator duo Michael and Helen about their dazzling new release and the magic of picture books…
Primary Times looks at creativity and connection with Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, celebrated creators of the bestselling We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Their new book, Oh Dear, Look What I Got!, is an instant rhyming classic set to delight a new generation. Playful and perfect to read aloud, it brims with the rhyme, repetition and reminiscing that make storytime so special. We spoke with Michael and Helen about their latest collaboration, how they craft books that families love to share, and what keeps storytime fun for everyone.
What do you love most about writing for children?
Michael: Reminiscing - it takes me back to the child I was and to my own children’s childhoods. Somehow when I’m writing, it joins up with that world and that’s very nice.
What sparked the idea for Oh Dear, Look What I Got?
Michael: It’s about mistakes and misunderstandings. I had the idea of going to a shop and being given the wrong thing – it actually sometimes happens to me!
Do rhyme and repetition help parents make storytime more engaging?
Michael: I do think it creates a pattern that allows you to make up new words. Storytime should be fun to anyone reading to young children. If you can be playful and have some giggles, that’s very important and it creates lovely memories.
Were there any lines that you especially enjoyed writing in this new book?
Michael: The cake and snake still makes me laugh. The idea that you can go to a shop and ask for a cake and get a snake is such fun!
How do you hope families will feel when they read Oh Dear, Look What I Got?
Michael: I hope they want to read it again and hear it again. When you get to the end of a book and hear a child say “Again!”, what more could a writer or illustrator want?
How do pictures help children connect with a story?
Helen: Pictures are the first thing that children see. They see faces and expressions on people’s faces. It helps them to have empathy and to understand the world.
How do events like The Big Draw Festival in October help to spark children’s creativity?
Helen: It lets them use their own special imagination. It can give them an interest in drawing and can create a sense of achievement in what they produce.
Do you have any favourite at-home activities for families?
Helen: Make a picture book together! Think of a story, get the children to do the illustrations and bind it with a ribbon and their names on the cover. Beautiful!
Were any of the characters or settings you drew for this new book inspired by real people or places?
Helen: The puppy was inspired by Bernie, my own rescue dog. And the setting for the greengrocers with all the veg outside is a local shop where I live!
When families read Oh Dear, Look What I Got, what do you hope they’ll notice in the illustrations?
Helen: When the shopkeeper hands the parcel to the child, there is a clue in the drawings as to what is inside. I hope they will notice the animals’ expressions too!
Oh Dear, Look What I Got! by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury is out now, published by Walker Books (RRP £12.99).
Photography © Debra Hurford-Brown 2025
Book cover: Copyright Walker Books