Gooney the Fabulous (Gooney Bird Series #3)

by Lois Lowry

Overview

Gooney Bird Greene has a fabulous idea after her teacher reads fables to the class. The children learn that fables are stories with animal characters that teach something important. Gooney’s fabulous idea is that each student create their own fable and tell it to the class! Everyone but Nicholas is excited about their stories and costumes. Can Gooney Bird find out why Nicholas is unhappy and get him to join in the fun? Now that would be truly fabulous!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780440422532
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/24/2009
Series:	Gooney Bird Series , #3
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	40,706
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lois Lowry is also known for her Anastasia books. She and illustrator Middy Thomas collaborated on the earlier Gooney Bird Greene books. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

[Gooney's] eccentric outfits and words of wisdom are peppered throughout to keep the story moving along while Thomas's characteristic black-and-white illustrations provide nice visuals. Full of new vocabulary words and information about fables . . . a must for Gooney Bird fans.
School Library Journal

Lowry nicely individualizes her characters and gets readers interested in their problems.
Booklist, ALA

If Aesop met Gooney Bird Greene, what would result? Fabulous fables, of course. . . . Gooney's outlandish outfits, take-charge (even bossy) attitude and boisterous spirit continue to be humorously likable—and fabulous. No doubt there'll be a fourth; meanwhile, this one offers a clever writing exercise for a class.
Kirkus Reviews

"The irrepressible Gooney Bird Green returns to entertain youngsters." Dallas Morning News 7/1/07 Dallas Morning News

Editorial Reviews

In this third book about second grader Gooney Bird Greene, the class has been listening while their teacher, Mrs. Pidgeon reads fables by Aesop. Naturally, Gooney comes up with a fantastic idea to have the children write their very own fables and present them to the class. So begins an exciting time of writing, determining morals and putting together costumes. The children are wholeheartedly participating. But Nicholas is most unhappy and does not want to be part of the activities. Quirky Gooney (who comes to class wearing outlandish outfits) manages to save the day with her creative solution to form a partnership with Nicholas and make a joint presentation to the class. The black and white illustrations cleverly and realistically portray the children and their situations. However, the text is not always compatible with the pictures, and may prove disconcerting to the reader. Hopefully this will be corrected in the final version of the book. Newly independent readers are sure to enjoy this highly entertaining and accurate account of their school activities.

Children's Literature - Sylvia Firth

Gr 1–3
Gooney Bird Greene returns for a third installment. Here, her second-grade class is learning about fables. In typical Gooney fashion, the precocious child takes over her classroom by suggesting that everyone write a new fable. Mrs. Pidgeon encourages her enthusiasm by letting her direct the project, and each subsequent chapter is dedicated to a student's work, including one fable about a T. rex done as a rap, concluding with, "Big mean nuthin' if you don't do school!" Given the age of these children, they are amazingly adept at writing, reading, and giving presentations, and they run into only minor glitches with their fables. While it is refreshing to hear from the other members of the class so clearly dominated by Gooney Bird, their creations lack the zest that hers usually have. Fortunately, her eccentric outfits and words of wisdom are peppered throughout to keep the story moving along while Thomas's characteristic black-and-white illustrations provide nice visuals. Full of new vocabulary words and information about fables, this slightly didactic first chapter book is a must for Gooney Bird fans.
—Julie RoachCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

If Aesop met Gooney Bird Greene, what would result? Fabulous fables, of course. In her third appearance, Gooney Bird instigates a fun class project when her second-grade teacher reads them Aesop's fables. Each student chooses an animal whose name begins with the first letter of his or her first name and then writes a fable about it. Personalities are revealed in each report along with home experiences and insecurities: Malcolm has baby triplets at home and repeats everything three times; Tyrone raps; Felicia Ann lisps. A black-and-white drawing in each of the 13 chapters offers bits of visual interest. Gooney's outlandish outfits, take-charge (even bossy) attitude and boisterous spirit continue to be humorously likable-and fabulous. No doubt there'll be a fourth; meanwhile, this one offers a clever writing exercise for a class. (Fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews

[Gooney's] eccentric outfits and words of wisdom are peppered throughout to keep the story moving along while Thomas's characteristic black-and-white illustrations provide nice visuals. Full of new vocabulary words and information about fables . . . a must for Gooney Bird fans.
School Library Journal

Lowry nicely individualizes her characters and gets readers interested in their problems.
Booklist, ALA

If Aesop met Gooney Bird Greene, what would result? Fabulous fables, of course. . . . Gooney's outlandish outfits, take-charge (even bossy) attitude and boisterous spirit continue to be humorously likable—and fabulous. No doubt there'll be a fourth; meanwhile, this one offers a clever writing exercise for a class.
Kirkus Reviews

"The irrepressible Gooney Bird Green returns to entertain youngsters." Dallas Morning News 7/1/07 Dallas Morning News

From the Publisher