That Is Not a Good Idea!

by Mo Willems

Overview

That Is Not a Good Idea! is a hilarious, interactive picture book from bestselling author and illustrator Mo Willems, the creator of books like Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, the Knuffle Bunny series, the Elephant and Piggie series, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, and many other new classics.
 
Inspired by the evil villains and innocent damsels of silent movies, Willems tells the tale of a hungry fox who invites a plump goose to dinner. As with the beloved Pigeon books, kids will be calling out the signature refrain and begging for repeated readings. The funny details in the full-color illustrations by three-time Caldecott Honoree Mo Willems will bring nonstop laughter to story time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062203090
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	04/23/2013
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	27,495
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD230L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

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.

Editorial Reviews

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.

…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.

The New York Times Book Review - Bruce Handy

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.)

Publishers Weekly

Kids will clamor for a re-viewing and be pleased to note that the book cleverly sets itself up for the story going either way. This is also a delight to voice, with the goslings particularly enjoyable to act out.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

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.

Booklist (starred review)

Praise for HOORAY FOR AMANDA AND HER ALLIGATOR!: “Willems knows how to keep things interesting and his audience engaged.

Horn Book (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.

Booklist

Praise for HOORAY FOR AMANDA AND HER ALLIGATOR!: “Willems knows how to keep things interesting and his audience engaged.

Horn Book

A nattily dressed fox spots a goose with a kerchief on a city street across the opening double page. In the style of an old fashioned talkie movie the text is sparse with phrases like: "What luck!" and "Dinner!" The fox invites the goose for a stroll. In the next scene a plump yellow chick appears, with the warning, "That is NOT a good idea!" More chicks appear, emphasizing the repeated warning, as the goose agrees to continue the walk in the woods, to join the fox in his kitchen, and to boil some water for soup. But the ending is not what we have come to expect. The sudden surprise must bring a smile to young readers/listeners. Heavy black lines and untextured colors create the clean-cut environment and stylized cartoon-y actors: the naive looking pop-eyed goose, top hat wearing, leering fox, and the worried, circular bright yellow chicks. As the tension builds, listeners may want to join in the warnings. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

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

School Library Journal

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)

Kirkus Reviews