Josh Rouse – Picture Book: Whatever Next!

Whatever Next! is a children’s picture book written by Jill Murphy. It is a simple story about a bear who wants to fly to the moon, so he grabs a rocket and helmet (an old box and a strainer) and takes off out of the chimney towards the moon. Along the way, Baby Bear is joined by a new owl friend before descending back home for bath time.The title is derived from Baby Bear's mum, when upon returning home she asks him why he's so dirty. He explains that he went up and down the chimney to the moon, when Mrs Bear laughs and exclaims, "You and your stories. Whatever next?"

The story is written in very basic language and will resonate best with a younger audience. Imagination is a large part of this story and this will appeal to early readers. Similarly, the language is structured in a way that makes it easier for children to read, such as short sentences;

“We’d better go,” said Baby Bear.

“My bath must be ready by now.”

Off they went, down and down.

The owl got out and flew away.

The text is constructed like this throughout the whole book. There are no long, horizontal pieces of text which can confuse early readers. Lines are succinct, as shown above, making it less daunting for the reader. Illustrations, which are a large part of children’s books, are very prominent in this book with full page or double page pictures able to help the reader piece together the story and make sense of it. As some students may struggle decoding the print, the images make it significantly easier to make meaning, which is what students are ultimately looking for. Basic comprehension activities could be useful in making meaning of the book in a teaching scenario.

This book is most useful for reception/Year 1 students.

Josh Rouse