Review: So Much by Trish Cooke, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Baby and his mum are at home with nothing to do when, suddenly, the doorbell rings and the extended family descends upon them, much to baby’s delight, in readiness for a big surprise!

This rhythmically driven story from renowned author Trish Cooke and with its memorable repeated refrains, is well-crafted and laced with lyrical Patois which adds great authenticity. Additionally, the cumulative repetitive structure supports early readers’ prediction and word-recognition skills.

Originally published in 1994, this highly entertaining picture book was a classic in its heyday although there are a couple of narrative and visual stereotypes that feel a tad dated and uncomfortable from a 21st-century perspective. 

That said, if you address these issues through talk while reading, So Much remains a thoroughly entertaining story about cultural traditions and love, which celebrates the richness of Black-British Caribbean family life.

Guide for teachers and parents

Genre	Narrative: stories with repeated patterns
Child-led interests	me and my family, birthdays, and celebrations
Age group (EYFS, KS1, KS2)	Nursery and Reception
Curriculum links/topics (EYFS/NC)	EYFS: CAL UW
Suitability	class library, school library, home-reader
General features	repetitive refrains, rich language, rhythmic/lyrical speech patterns

All the Black children's books that I review are checked against my Jericho Benchmark.