Shh! We Have a Plan

Product Information

Chris Haughton is an Irish illustrator and author living in London. He was listed in Time magazine's 'DESIGN 100' for the work he has been doing for fair trade clothing company People Tree. His debut book 'A Bit Lost' was first published in English in September 2010. It has been translated into 15 languages and won 9 awards in 7 countries including the Dutch Picturebook of the Year. Pleasingly spare and simple in design and storyline, and ending with a good joke, this is a perfectly executed picture book. ... Chris Haughton plays tribute to Tomi Ungerer’s classic and illustrator of Oh No, George! and Little Owl Lost brings us another comical and thoughtful story. The bold and unusual colour palette is appealing and the use of utterly delightful repetitive […] Thank you so much for taking the time to post this. As a father of 5 and a Creative Director (who has illusions he can illustrate and write), it couldn’t be more inspirational. Chris Haughton tells a big story in stunning illustrations in his near-wordless picture book… a wittily told story with a strong message about communication'

The end of the picturebook starts out like the beginning, having a plan to catch another animal. This is interesting as it could symbolise the human nature of greed and wanting more, not seeing what destruction they are causing through their actions. Even though they saw the youngest succeed with his simple non-destructive plan they continue to use their plan that failed the first time. Following the Rule of Threes the older trio creep stealthily upon the bird on the ground, in a tree, and out on a frozen pond, always failing to catch their prey. At last the Little One offers up some bread crumbs and they stalkers are suddenly surrounded by many birds. With the birds so close it seems as if catching them will easy until they realize they are outnumbers and outsized and off the run.

The three older characters being different to the youngest is firstly recognised on the front cover. The three older characters are all very close to each other, touching bodies. Their fingers against their mouth indicating the "shh". All three of them look straight ahead towards the reader. However, the youngest is a little further away and does not use his finger to "shh". This indicates that he is not in on the plan, he does not share the same views or values as the other three. Additionally, he is not looking straight ahead but watching the other three, this gives a feeling of him/her observing the other three. That the youngest is not in on the plan is very obvious throughout the book, as he does not have a catching net like the other three. Furthermore, he never participates in the act of trying to catch the bird but is a silent observer. Four friends out for a walk decide they must have the beautiful bird perched high in a tree. They have a plan... Trouble is, their plans don't quite work and each time they land up in a tangled heap as the bird flies off. But look more closely and you will see that the littlest one doesn't join in - he has a much better idea. Even then, things don't quite go according to plan in this almost wordless picture book which relies heavily on the clever picture to relate the story.' Make some puppets to represent the characters in the story. Could you use them to perform it to an audience? Kids getting a notion in their head and proceeding with what they believe is a well-considered plan only to have it fail due, in part, to their own limited understanding of the real world. This is his best yet: simple, original, very blue and HILARIOUS...every single school in the country should have a copy'

I like that the bird is out-smarting four perfectly competent humans - he's absolutely toying with them! But I don't like so much that we need to rely entirely on the pictures; it feels like this could have been a lot funnier if the characters had a bit more variety in their dialogue. The first thing I loved was the contrast of the dark blue figures in the dim blue world to the bright and vibrant birds! I think there is a hint here about nature and wildlife compared to the human world. I love that subtle environmental message... Through seemingly simple but wonderfully sophisticated visual techniques, Haughton excels in his goal and in doing so, proves that even as profound a concept as achieving peace through understanding can be conveyed visually, without words' The truth of one of Bornholdt’s observations – “Reading a book of pictures is still reading” – will become immediately obvious to the “reader” of Chris Haughton’s picture book Little Owl falls asleep in his (rather precarious) nest, falls onto the ground with a 'bump' and becomes 'a bit lost'. But Squirrel comes to his rescue...Does this book have a deeper meaning about kindness over stealth and force or listening to the wisdom of the young or perhaps, a call for being calm, patience, and generous? We're delighted to announce that Shh! We Have a Plan, our hugely successful adaptation of Chris Haughton’s much-loved modern classic, is available to watch for free on YouTube! The humor comes from the futility of the group's plan and the silly results combined with the juxtaposition of the youngest's successful methods. What really makes this book shine are Chris Haughton’s superb illustrations: the gloom of the woods at night is captured perfectly by his sombre blue palette, and his expressive depiction of the hunters makes their fear of the dark palpable. A simple, funny and atmospheric story that will delight younger children, and probably their parents as well. An incredible book, much loved by my own children and, in a recent lesson observation for a job interview, by all the children in a Year 2 class. I was able to use the hook line for a behaviour management tool, the setting to develop a whole class soundscape and the bulk of the book for ethical comprehension investigation. The children enjoyed exploring the book with me; it was a vital teaching and learning tool, and a genuine whole class ‘reading for pleasure’ moment. Needless to say this book secured me the job too!