Don’t forget the bacon! by Pat Hutchins

A clever use of language, this picture book is like a Chinese whispers game as words are subtly changed throughout the story. The nub of the book is the tale of a little boy who is tasked by his mum to buy some items of shopping. Yet as he wanders on his errand, he is distracted by the observations he makes on his travels, cleverly transposing the words on his shopping list to the things he sees. Luckily he is reminded of the original items on the shopping list before arriving home, but predictably he does forget the bacon! Sophisticated wordplay for an older readership although lovely to read aloud to smaller ears too. The illustrations are in keeping with their ’70s origins which adds further to this nostalgic picture book.