Oscar and Arabella Hot Hot Hot

Oscar and Arabella

by Neal Layton

Looking for an escape from the heat? Kids will laugh out loud at the lively illustrations in Neal Layton’s tale of two fun-loving, enterprising mammoths.For wild and woolly mammoths like Oscar and Arabella, playing in the ice and snow and arctic winds of an Ice Age winter is the coolest fun. But when the snow starts to melt, and thousands of brightly colored plants sprout up and irritate their eyes, and insects are swarming, and it just gets hotter and hotter and hotter, it seems there’s no end to their misery. Then one day, the shaggy pair comes up with a bright idea. It may be a close shave, but it looks like they’ve finally found a way to enjoy the hottest summer ever!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Animals, Dinosaurs, Humor

30 pages, Paperback

First published September 18, 2003

About the author

Neal Layton is the illustrator of POOP, EXTREME ANIMALS, WHAT's EATING YOU, and JUST THE RIGHT SIZE, all written by Nicola Davies. Neal Layton lives in Portsmouth, England.

Reviews

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

That lovable mammoth couple Oscar and Arabella are back, only this time the Ice Age is on hold....for the Heat Age, the summer days when it's way too hot to wear them furry coats! For our two pachyderms, it's a Quest for No Fire! Their epic journey for a spot to cool off leads them thru deserts of burning sands, to oceans that practically aren't there since two big mammoths doing the Cannonball is not good for those who wanna swim...if you know what I mean. Finally they find a pair of scissors and perform something they shoulda thought of at the beginning of summer-- they have invented BARBER STYLE HAIRCUTS! And soon we have tons of fur falling off their hides. (Robin Williams is looking down from above and is his hairy butt jealous!) So now the question remains: will the next adventure be a....Quest for Fur? Lol!
Four stars
Mammoths we're coming home!!!

[Keyian E]

Keyian's Book Review of Hot by Neal Layton



Neal Layton writes about the picture book Hot!

Woolly mammoth are Hot and they can't find a way to cool. They try to get in a spot with shade or coolness, but "they are too big to stand under trees". They really hate summer because," it's hot and they don’t like the bugs or the dust". In order for them to get cool they must become creative and think outside the box!



I recommend that young children to read this book because it's for kids that like to play in the snow or winter. This book reminds me of people that like winter more than they like the summer.

[Walker S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walker's book review on HOT, HOT, HOT by Neal Layton

This book HOT, HOT, HOT by Neal Layton is a funny children's picture book about how some animals find out a way to cool down from the sun. So in this story, Oscar and Arabella who are the wooly mammoths are trying to figure out how to cool down. They are working together but can't figure out how to cool down. So there solution is to cut each other's hair off. I would recommend this book to children of all ages because it's pretty funny and it teaches people to be prepared for situations. In the text it says "at least now everybody was comfortable". If I were to rate this book I would give it a 5 star rating.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good fit to read during storytime in this hot, dry, smoky summer. I, for one, could really feel for Oscar and Arabella and their complaints about summer. That said, I kind of de-emphasized the naked human aspect of the book, for obvious reasons, and that made the ending a little less conclusive. People still enjoyed it, and the idea of all the animals getting haircuts got some laughs, so overall, a good book for storytime.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woolly mammoth friends search for a solution to the summer heat. Cute and funny. Ice Age facts at the back.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two mammoths try to stay cool in the summer and end up shaving off all their hair, and convincing the other animals to do the same. Naked butts warning! XD

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

A silly, fun read

[Gabriel Marker · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part was when it was winter.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used for an interactive read aloud with students. Very cute and students enjoyed the humor.

[Jonathan Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about two woolly mammoths, Oscar and Arabella. It is summertime, which means irritating pollen, annoying bugs, and the scorching heat. They try to do everything they can to keep cool, but nothing works. Finally, they decide to give each other a haircut. Even though it is drastic, it works, and all the other animals cut their hair off too. Everyone can now enjoy summer! Winter eventually comes back, as does their woolly coats, and everything is right again. This book has really interesting illustrations, almost in the form of scribbling. This would be fun for activities in both the winter and summer months - it incorporates both seasons, which is fun. I enjoyed it!

[Emmeline Guest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful doodle style illustrations and simple short text tells the story of two ice age woolly mammoths, Oscar (who sports a colorful party hat) and Arabella. Oscar and Arabella love winter, but HATE summer! With summer comes flowers that make the mammoths sneeze and HEAT! Horrible hot heat!

After trying a variety of activities to stay cool, Oscar and Arabella cut of all their woolly mammoth hair! Their new bare backs, and cool temperature, convince other ice age animals to do the same.

A silly story, with an occasional ice age fact thrown in, is sure to please preschoolers.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oscar and Arabella Hot Hot Hot by Neal Layton – What a darn hilarious book! Loved the ice age humor in this book… I was thrilled to have a book that introduced seasons/cycles since I know my Year 1 teachers will appreciate this book for their unit they’re teaching presently. Good quick story with a lovely surprise ending.

[Mhm Storytelling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shares two mammoths' efforts to stay cool during the heat of summer. The illustrations are great and there are a couple of opportunities to have children identify animals. This book will be perfect for the "Mad about Mammoths" storytelling workshop.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great idea for a book, but I really can't stand the illustrations. They are somewhat funny, but look more sloppy than interesting.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn't enjoy a story about silly wooly mammoths?

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sprinkling of naughtiness plus short but useful author notes about the Ice Age add something extra to this fun book.