Book Review: That Is NOT a Good Idea! by Mo Willems
One of my daughter's favorite authors is Mo Willems, creator of classic children's books like the Knuffle Bunny series, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, and Golidlocks and the Three Dinosaurs. She always makes a point of picking out a Willems picture book or two when we visit the library, which led us to read Willems' latest: That Is NOT a Good Idea! (Balzer + Bray, 2013; 48 pages).
That Is NOT a Good Idea! pays homage to old-time silent movies, with colorful scenes intercut with dialogue on black-and-white title cards. The story is a variation on the typical fairy tale formula of Hungry Fox meets a Plump Goose "damsel in distress," while a chorus of baby geese cry out variations of the book's catch phrase "That is NOT a good idea!" as they watch the action unfold. Of course this being a Mo Willems book, there's a twist to the story—I'm not going to give it away, so you'll have to read it to find out what it is!
That Is NOT a Good Idea! really begs to be read aloud, and kids will enjoy responding with the baby geese each time the Plump Goose follows one of the fox's seemingly self-serving suggestions. Be prepared for multiple readings of this funny, suspensful, and charming book. Highly recommended for kids of all ages!
You can find That Is NOT a Good Idea! at bookstores, Amazon.com
