That Is Not a Good Idea!

Be the first to write a review

Overview

One day, a very hungry fox meets a very plump goose.

A dinner invitation is offered.

Will dinner go as planned? Or do the dinner plans involve a secret ingredient . . . ?

(Don't forget to listen to the baby geese!)

From the brilliant mind of Mo Willems comes a surprising lesson about listening to your inner gosling.

Read More Show Less
...
See more details below
Hardcover
$11.24
BN.com price
(Save 37%)$17.99 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (Hardcover)
  • All (26) from $9.69   
  • New (21) from $9.69   
  • Used (5) from $10.96   
Note: Kids' Club Eligible. See More Details.
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

One day, a very hungry fox meets a very plump goose.

A dinner invitation is offered.

Will dinner go as planned? Or do the dinner plans involve a secret ingredient . . . ?

(Don't forget to listen to the baby geese!)

From the brilliant mind of Mo Willems comes a surprising lesson about listening to your inner gosling.

Read More Show Less
  • That Is Not a Good Idea!
    That Is Not a Good Idea!  

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble

One day, a very, very hungry fox meets a very plump goose. You might think that you know you know the rest of the story, but when Mo Willems is spinning the tale, you don't. A delightful picture book for goose-loving little boys and girls.

The New York Times Book Review - Bruce Handy
…takes the form of a silent movie, complete with title cards…I would hope That Is Not a Good Idea! might lead to a discussion not just of culinary ethics but also of silent film comedy and, perhaps, for dessert, a Buster Keaton DVD.
Publishers Weekly
Willems, whose Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs also operated on a balance of threat and humor, models this suspenseful picture book after a silent movie. The sequence concerns a dastardly villain, played by a smirking fox in a top hat, and an ingenue, played by a coy duck in a blue headscarf. The fox invites the sweet-looking duck “for a stroll.” When she agrees, he asks, “Would you care to continue our walk into the deep, dark woods?” “Sounds fun!” she answers. Each time the duck accepts the fox’s invitations, an increasingly alarmed audience of six yellow peeps pops up to shout some version of the title: “That is not a good idea!” This being a Willems vehicle, a sudden twist reveals which character the peeps have been addressing all along. Cinematic conventions, like neatly framed white-on-black intertitles and gauzy iris-eye close-ups of the eyelash-batting heroine, join allusions to classics like “Henny Penny,” Rosie’s Walk, and perhaps even Mighty Mouse. Trust Willems to blend silents, animation, and comics for a wickedly droll poultry-in-peril yarn. Ages 4–8. Agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt. (Apr.)
Booklist
Praise for GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE DINOSAURS: “Willems has delivered his very best work so far-this is a tasty treat for kids already fluent with the original, and for any fan of funny, and everybody will want to read it again and again and again.
Horn Book
Praise for HOORAY FOR AMANDA AND HER ALLIGATOR!: “Willems knows how to keep things interesting and his audience engaged.
Booklist (starred review)
Praise for GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE DINOSAURS: “Willems has delivered his very best work so far-this is a tasty treat for kids already fluent with the original, and for any fan of funny, and everybody will want to read it again and again and again.”
Horn Book (starred review)
Praise for HOORAY FOR AMANDA AND HER ALLIGATOR!: “Willems knows how to keep things interesting and his audience engaged.”
School Library Journal
K-Gr 3—This charmer is lovingly composed as an homage to silent movies and the concept of picture books as the "theater of the lap." Readers will become totally involved as they watch, along with several chicks, a drama unfolding, certain to end in tragedy. A gentlemanly fox and a demure, peasantlike goose meet. The setting is an old European city reminiscent of Budapest or Amsterdam, replete with fin de siècle gas lamps, stone-arch bridges, and wrought-iron terraces, executed in signature matte hues and strong lines (the chicks, though, are bright yellow). Heightened expressions dramatize their meeting, and it is desire at first sight. "What luck! Dinner!" reads the ornate intertitle (white type on a black background) on the following spread. In this way, the well-mannered fox proposes a series of formal invitations, "Would you care to…," leading the goose step-by-step into his "nearby kitchen." It is a study in pacing. Each time the goose accepts, "Hmm…sure!"; "Sounds fun!" again via intertitles, the action stops and the baby geese cry out (and flap) more and more trepidatiously: "That is NOT a good idea!" Young listeners will get involved and cry out, too. The wily goose's actions, defying common sense, arrive at an absolutely unexpected and riotous surprise ending. Children and adults will relish being taken for such a thrilling, suspenseful ride again and again.—Sara Lissa Paulson, The American Sign Language and English Lower School, New York City
Kirkus Reviews
A new offering of guaranteed laughs from three-time Caldecott-honoree Willems. From the cover to the cast credits to the title page, the story presents itself as a movie in book form, observed not only by readers, but by a gaggle of excitable goslings. The action begins when a dapper fox and a plump goose meet—successfully establishing the field of a traditional tale. Dialogue between the characters, showcased as ornately framed white text against a page-filling black background, harkens back to the design of silent films. Double-page spreads picture an increasing number of goslings gazing out at readers and admonishing, "That is NOT a good idea!" as the wide-eyed goose follows the fox from the city to his home in the woods. The goslings' antics grow progressively frantic—and hilarious—as their warnings increase in intensity. The climax proves that appearances can be deceiving, as the anticipated conclusion is turned on its head. Using signature bold lines, Willems' illustrations are as satisfyingly expressive and comic as his previous work featuring fowl (his pigeon makes a cameo appearance here, though not an obvious one). Exceptionally observant readers may anticipate the twist, but that won't spoil the enjoyment of this fun-loving fractured fable. Minimal text makes this book ideal for read-alouds and discussions of fable and fairy-tale motifs. Pure glee. (Picture book. 3-8)
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780062203090
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 4/23/2013
  • Pages: 48
  • Sales rank: 1427
  • Age range: 4 - 8 Years
  • Product dimensions: 9.20 (w) x 9.30 (h) x 0.50 (d)

Meet the Author

Mo Willems

Mo Willems knows a Good Idea when he sees one. A three-time Caldecott Honor winner (for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny, and Knuffle Bunny Too), he also won two Geisel Medals and two Geisel Honors for his Elephant and Piggie books. His books are perennial New York Times bestsellers, including Knuffle Bunny Free, Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator!, and the Cat the Cat series. Before he turned to making picture books, Mo was a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he won six Emmys. Mo lives with his family in Massachusetts.

Mo Willems knows a Good Idea when he sees one. A three-time Caldecott Honor winner (for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny, and Knuffle Bunny Too), he also won two Geisel Medals and two Geisel Honors for his Elephant and Piggie books. His books are perennial New York Times bestsellers, including Knuffle Bunny Free, Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator!, and the Cat the Cat series. Before he turned to making picture books, Mo was a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he won six Emmys. Mo lives with his family in Massachusetts.

Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)
    If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
    Why is this product inappropriate?
    Comments (optional)