Gideon & Otto

PreS-Gideon is a "small ruddy gosling who likes to play. All day." This fun-loving, feathered fellow explores the farm and engages in such activities as "chase-the-piglet," "find-the-eggs," and "tag-the-mole." His mother calls, but Gideon keeps replying, "No nap! I'm playing!" After climbing to the top of a haystack and snuggling down in the straw, sleepiness wins out. In Gideon and Otto, children meet the gosling's favorite friend. When the toy octopus goes missing, a search of the leaf pile and pond ensues. Otto's triumphant return is on the back of a turtle. Dunrea's ink-and-watercolor illustrations capture Gideon's ebullient personality-feathers fly when he is racing to his next adventure, and his beloved stuffed toy is tucked under his wing when he is quietly reading a book. With their pitch-perfect texts and charming characters, these stories are ideal for toddlers.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A new gosling has arrived to join the farmyard fun and games in this series that began with Gossie and Gossie Gertie (rev. 1/03). Gideon is a "small, ruddy gosling who likes to play. All day." Play all day is right -- even after his mother calls him in for a nap. "No nap! I'm playing!" says Gideon repeatedly, until all played out, he collapses in a tiny heap atop a haystack. As with the earlier books, preschoolers and their caretakers will be amused by these oh-so-familiar battles. The arc of Gideon's activity aptly depicts a child's growing exhaustion: first chasing the piglets and playing tag-the-mole, he then listens to bees buzzing and plays quietly (and, one would guess, slowly) with a turtle. Gideon Otto introduces Gideon's "favorite friend," a stuffed-toy octopus. Constant companions, the two are briefly separated when Gideon goes off to romp with the rabbits; their reunion is a sweet surprise. Dunrea's pictures are as beguiling as ever, with charmingly undersized animals -- the mole and rabbits are even smaller than little Gideon. Seemingly simple, the art is filled with clever details kids will appreciate, such as when Gideon's mother calls him, her head and neck low to the ground at first, then rising higher with each successive (ignored) request until she's bellowing at the sky. Every child and parent will feel that Dunrea has written these books for, and about, themselves. jennifer m. brabander (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(Picture book. 2-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

PreS—Gideon is a "small ruddy gosling who likes to play. All day." This fun-loving, feathered fellow explores the farm and engages in such activities as "chase-the-piglet," "find-the-eggs," and "tag-the-mole." His mother calls, but Gideon keeps replying, "No nap! I'm playing!" After climbing to the top of a haystack and snuggling down in the straw, sleepiness wins out. In Gideon and Otto, children meet the gosling's favorite friend. When the toy octopus goes missing, a search of the leaf pile and pond ensues. Otto's triumphant return is on the back of a turtle. Dunrea's ink-and-watercolor illustrations capture Gideon's ebullient personality—feathers fly when he is racing to his next adventure, and his beloved stuffed toy is tucked under his wing when he is quietly reading a book. With their pitch-perfect texts and charming characters, these stories are ideal for toddlers.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada