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Don't Touch That, Oscar!
by Lois Hoffman
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Jan 31 2023 | Archive Date Dec 07 2023
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Description
Will Oscar be able to wait?
It's the last day of school, and they're having a party! But can the excitable Oscar resist temptation and wait for the party to start? Don't Touch that Oscar is a story of friendship, acceptance, and embracing our unique gifts.
Join Oscar and his friends for an unforgettable day!
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
"In Don’t Touch That, Oscar, the reader can feel Oscar’s anxiety as he tries with everything in his power to keep his hands (all 8 of them!) to himself. An exceptional concept, as it is challenging enough for a child to keep 2 hands to themselves. The colors and illustrations are eye-catching and fun, and visually reflect the text perfectly. An excellent way to exhibit the importance of teamwork, as Oscar’s friends help him learn how to keep his hands to himself. A fantastic book!
What a cute book! So great to help teach great and important skills for kids such as patience, waiting, and self control. Perfect read for young kids at home or in a classroom. The fun characters and great colors in the illustrations really keep you interested in the story. Kids will really enjoy this book!
My kids loved this book!! It is so cute, and the illustrations were very bold and eye catching. It kept my toddlers’ interest from start to finish.
The story’s words engage both children and adult readers. Action abounds—“flailing,” “snapping,” “scoped,” “stretched.” Onomatopoeia lets children read aloud—“Tippity, toppity, crumble, crash!”
Available Editions
ISBN | 9798987516904 |
PRICE | $2.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 30 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
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It is tough to manage the temptation, and not to touch anything, when you are waiting for a special treat - like when the class party is soon to begin! It's even tougher when you have 8 arms that you have to keep away from things...
So when Oscar the octopus is trying to follow his teacher's instructions not to touch things before the party begins, his friend Carlton the crab and his other classmates try to distract him.
But you know what the upside is of having eight arms? It allows you to juggle all kinds of stuff. Children will enjoy this happy little story about anticipation, temptation and learning both self-control and self-acceptance with Oscar and his friends.
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Cute children’s book about following rules and being patient. Oscar the octopus can not contain himself and his classmates help him stay calm and follow the rules until the party begins.
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This is a Cute Children’s Book about Patience. Oscar is an Octopus who loves to touch everything and that makes things harder when you have 8 arms. His school is about to have a party, but it’s very important to not Touch Anything. Oscar can’t seem to Stop himself. His friends try to help by holding his arms, but he shakes them off.
Then the Big Beautiful Cake comes Out with all the Decorations, Streamers, and Party Items. Oscar hits them and oh no….think this will be a disaster. However, Oliver learns he can Juggle and this saves the day!
A book is about trying to listen, getting help from friends, and finding unknown talents that can be very helpful.
The illustrations by Ezequiel Decarli were done really well and brought out the book.
Would Recommend this book for Young Children, probably 3-6 Years Old.
Thank you NetGalley, Lois Hoffman, and BooksGoSocial for granting me a copy of this book. I always leave a review of a book I read. A
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Oscar the octopus finds out that they are having a party for the last day of school. His teacher asks him not to touch anything until the party starts. Luckily, Oscar’s friends help him be patience and not to touch anything until the party.
A cute story about keeping control of your body and being patience.
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Sarah Collins' "Don't Touch That, Oscar!" is a delightful and engaging children's picture book that teaches valuable lessons about boundaries, respect, and personal space. Through a relatable story and vibrant illustrations, this book successfully captures the attention of young readers while imparting important messages.
The illustrations in "Don't Touch That, Oscar!" are vibrant, colorful, and full of life. They effectively bring the forest and its inhabitants to life, making it easy for children to immerse themselves in Oscar's world. The facial expressions of the characters beautifully depict their emotions, helping young readers connect with the story on an emotional level.
One of the strengths of this book is its simplicity. The language used is accessible for young readers, and the story flows smoothly, holding their attention from beginning to end. The repetitive nature of the phrase "Don't touch that, Oscar!" also encourages children to actively participate in the reading experience.
Moreover, the book provides a positive resolution to Oscar's behavior. As Oscar learns from his mistakes, he begins to understand the importance of respecting others' boundaries and personal space. This serves as an excellent example for young readers and prompts important discussions about empathy and consideration for others.
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This was a cute book about an Octopus who just can't hold in his wiggles because he's too excited for a party. He's touching all of the things he shouldn't and getting into trouble, but luckily, the same way his wiggly arms got him in trouble, they were also what saved the day! A lot of lessons can be taught to kids from this little story
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Oscar is so excited for the last day of school party. He can't be still. He and his eight arms are constantly getting into trouble and making a mess. His teacher keeps reminding him to not touch that. He keeps reminding himself that he isn't suppose to touch things but he just can't help himself. But in the end Oscar ends up saving the day.
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The illustrations are so well done and fit the book perfectly. I loved all the characters. I also enjoyed seeing Oscar’s friends trying to help him. Sometimes we all need help. I was happy to see Oscar did save the party at the end! Working at a preschool this is a great topic to discuss.
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What a cute book! So great to help teach great and important skills for kids such as patience, waiting, and self control. Perfect read for young kids at home or in a classroom. The fun characers and great colors in the illustrations really keep you interested in the story.
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Adorable story and illustrations, my kid would love this. Marine life in children's books is always a hit.
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Cute! I’m always looking for fun, new end of the year books for my students. This checks that box but also is a fun way of talking about how everyone is different and unique. The illustrations are great. The vocabulary is easy to act out and understand. get students involved.
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Don't Touch That Oscar is a wonderful, engaging book for young children!
Oscar the Octopus just can't sit still, and he constantly has trouble controlling his behavior! Just like my youngest grandson, who really loved reading this story with me.
I want to thank NetGalley, and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC!
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Don't Touch That, Oscar! by Lois Hoffman - 5/5
Children's Fiction
Don't Touch That, Oscar! is cute story, fun characters and catchy illustrations. On the last day of school Oscar is having a hard to waiting for the party to start. I love this story and the conversation about having patience when there is excitement going on. That is something we struggle with at home, so it was nice to find a story that talked about that.
I enjoyed this story filled with friendships and acceptance and as did my children, ages 5 and 7 years old.
Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
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I read this story to my 2 and 4 year olds tonight before bed and they really enjoyed it. The colors and graphics in this book were fantastic and definitely kept my kids interested!
My 2 year old wasn’t able to pay attention for the length of the book, however my 4 year old was.
Would definitely read more by this author!
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Such a wonderful and fun story to read together as a family. It was very much enjoyed by son and the whole family.
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I read this book with my son, who absolutely loved Oscar the octopus. We thought it was such a great book and shared many giggles as we read the book. It led us to talk about how hard it is to wait and the feelings that happen when we are waiting. I would love to read this to my class during the school year to teach the importance of waiting and how to handle being so excited for something fun!
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My 4 year old daughter loved this book, she thought Oscar was hilarious and very much like herself but with 6 extra limbs.
Great story for young children!
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All children can relate to Oscar who just can't wait for the party to begin! It is challenge to keep your hands to yourself, imagine if you had 8 of them! Oscar and his friend are a delightful class and will be sure to delight your class at school reading time or at home!
My thanks to NetGalley and Lois Hoffman for the ARC of this book.
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This is a really cute picture book. I loved the colors and the over all story. It will make a great addition to the collection.
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My kids loved this book!! It is so cute, and the illustrations were very bold and eye catching. It kept my toddlers’ interest from start to finish.
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This book was so adorable, I loved everything about it, the illustrations were so well done, they suited the book perfectly, the story was amazing as well, even thought is very short I could really connect with the characters and feel theirs struggles.
I’m sure the kids are going to be just as enthralled with this amazing book as I was.
I will definitely recommend!
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this early copy
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Perfect story for our kids who just can’t wait to get their hands on everything before the party starts. A good read for teachers before Halloween, holiday, and end of school year parties! Oscar is so cute my kids laughed at his antics.
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In Don’t Touch That, Oscar, the reader can feel Oscar’s anxiety as he tries with everything in his power to keep his hands (all 8 of them!) to himself. An exceptional concept, as it is challenging enough for a child to keep 2 hands to themselves. The colors and illustrations are eye-catching and fun, and visually reflect the text perfectly. An excellent way to exhibit the importance of teamwork, as Oscar’s friends help him learn how to keep his hands to himself. A fantastic book!
![](https://netgalley-profiles.s3.amazonaws.com/avatar1046857-micro.png?1725754003)
My daughter and I read this one together.
We both loved it. My daughter kept saying “I bet he touches it”. And of course she was right! Kids do this all the time. No matter how often I tell my kids not to touch something, they do it anyhow. I’d like to think that they a battling the same mind-games that Oscar was in this book. Kids can be so impatient and that’s in their nature.
The illustrations and storyline for this book were so cute. We really enjoyed it. Thank you for allowing us to read this one.
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A sweet story to delight young children. My 7 year old enjoyed reading the story out loud. The fun plot and simple word choices made this an instant hit.
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I really liked the pace and theme of this children’s book! Oscar the Octopus had such a hard time waiting and keeping his tentacles to himself. What a fun way to teach children patience.
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Oscar the octopus and his schoolmates are having a party on the last day of school but Oscar is a little TOO excited. He has a hard time not touching things for the party and starts to make a mess of things. He almost causes a huge disaster involving the cake but manages to save the day with his many legs. My 3 and 5 year old boys really enjoyed this one. I think they could sympathize with Oscar not being able to touch something he's excited for. The illustration was really colorful and cute. This would be a great book for new readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my honest review.
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This illustrations are cute and colorful. Great silly book get kiddos thinking about touching stuff and boundaries.
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Oscar is an octopus that has a hard time being patient. This book is cutely illustrated and attempts to teach children about patience. I liked the illustrations and the overall story but some portions of the story lacked continuity, for example Oscar and his friend Carlton build a tower that gets knocked down by Oscar in a future scene, the tower is then called the space tower without any direct correlation to space. There was a scene between where Oscar and Carlton are watching out for space monsters but it lacks clarity. Overall it is a nice story for young children.
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Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC! Oscar the octopus is so cute throughout the story! I love the illustrations throughout the book! A cute read for ocean animal lovers, and young children that may be having a party soon and are very excited for it like Oscar!
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Don't Touch That, Oscar! by Lois Hoffman is beautifully illustrated book about Oscar who on his last day of school is really exicted that his class is having a party and how hard he finds it can be to resist giving in to the temptation of touching things.
I recommend this book to children of all ages.
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Children who have a hard time waiting and managing their excitement will be able to relate to Oscar the octopus. It also shows children that although Oscar is having a hard time following the rules, his friends are there to help him out. Furthermore, despite some of the trouble the Oscar caused while being impatient, Oscar discovered that had a unique talent that helped to save the day. This book is best suited for kids six and under.
Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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This was a loveable story of a clumsy octopus who is immediately endearing to the reader. I think the illustrations were eye catching and creative. Would be a fun book to read with children who can point out the different sea creatures.. I think this book would made a great addition to a children's library.
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Oscar was a mischievous octopus who was curious about things. He was playful and seemed to get into trouble no matter how hard he tried to talk himself out of touching things. It was a funny and delightful read, which was educative, engaging, and entertaining.
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"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
Cute book with fun words and fun illustrations. I enjoyed it for smaller children
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ARC REVIEW * dead this to my 7 year old retired service dog he BookBlog with me
Such a cute and funny story, he loved that he has a party at school and all the silly things leading up to the party. He barked 5 stars
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Don't Touch That, Oscar! is a super cute book about an octopus who's very excited for a class party. Oscar just can't help but want to touch everything! They keep telling him not to touch things but in the end when everything goes flying he ends up saving the day. I think this would be great for kids who struggle with impulse control and are often labeled as "bad" to see that they can be heroes and have good moments and be appreciated too. I'd recommend this for any child, classroom, or elementary library.
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Oscar the octopus is at school with all his friends. It is the last day of school has arrived and their teacher is setting up for a party. Oscar and his eight arms seem to have a hard time not touching things, and he is constantly reminded. His friends try to keep him busy, they even try holding his arms, but Oscar just can't stop himself. When he twitches one last time, he knocks everything over including the cake. Quickly his friends tell him to use his many arms to catch everything, and he ends up entertaining everyone juggling all the party stuff, including the cake. My grandson thought this was a funny story. He kept yelling at Oscar to stop touching things, which I found hilarious because he is just as bad. We talked about how his friends tried to help him. My older grandson, who pretended he wasn't listening shared about one of his friends who had a hard time "controlling his behaviour" at school. We talked about what people could do to help him. I think the biggest message here is to try and be a good friend. The illustrations are cute, large and colourful adding to the story. This is a cute book for kindergarten classrooms to talk about impulsivity as well as being a friend and helping each other.
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