Remember back to yesteryear when silent movies were all the rage? The villain entered the scene and the fair lady searched for her hero?
Our curtain opens on the villain and in this case he is a fox... a very dapper fox in his tophat and "tails". His delighted eyes spot a delicous looking goose as he struts the city streets and with clearly evil intentions he invites her home for dinner. Her face captured in the spotlight on the screen, our lovely scarf-clad goose bravely accepts his invitation and the screen lights up with "Hmmm....sure!"
Our chorus of small goslings pipes in to warn "That is NOT a good idea." And it is with great horror and trepidation that we watch our innocent goose stroll to the fox's kitchen where she will sadly and clearly unaware, join in making the soup for dinner.
Imagine our growing frustration as the pot ... oh I mean the plot...thickens. The little goslings are getting more and more concerned and insistent as they shout their warning. They can see exactly what is about to splash across the page.... or can they?
The suspense builds and the fun roars on. This is a wonderful read aloud for story time.
978-0062203090 Ages 3-7 32 pages
Recommended by: Barb
*****
"'That is
REALLY,
REALLY,
REALLY,
REALLY
NOT
a good idea!'"
I've just spent an hour at YouTube and Wikipedia, traveling back to my
early childhood, by reading about the evolution of the opening and closing
theme music for Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies. This YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jTHNBKjMBU, with a million-plus listens is a pretty
good summation of what I've been exploring.
This musical trip back to the depths of my little kidhood was triggered by
my reading (and then re-reading several times) THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!
which is an animated silent movie in a book by Mo Williams. The cinematic
look to the cover and everything therein is incredibly stunning -- the
production of the finished book is as good as it gets in 2013 -- and this
turn-the-tables tale of a clever fox who is out-clevered by a lady goose in a head
scarf is, itself, so darn clever.
"'Would you care to look at my soup? A key ingredient is missing.'"
At each dramatic juncture, there is a chorus of bright yellow chicks who
keep building the tension, and guiding us to the punch line, with their
REALLY-REALLY- REAL-IES.
THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! is a picture book that will not only result in
audience hysterics and loud audience participation (in that chorus) upon
reading and re-reading, it is also the kind of book that could well cause some
kids to jump over the edge into the world of reading-hood, as the result
of desiring to perform it for themselves.
Having, in the past, had the pleasure of watching Mo Willems perform his
stories for a store full of little kids sitting on the carpet, I am all all
psyched to take this one on the road and do my own thing with it.
So, just know that your goose is going to be cooked if you miss out on
this one.
(And make sure that when kids actually get their hands on this book that
you have them watch out for The Pigeon, who makes a cameo appearance here.)
Recommended by: Richie Partington, MLIS, California USA
See more of his recommendations at: https://richiespicks.com/)
