Author: Mo Willems
Genre: Animal / Drama / Suspense / Humor
Year Published: 2013
Year Read: 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Library
Content Rating: Ages 5+ (Death)
Mo Willems is
truly a pro when it comes to writing children’s books! His previous books “Don’t Let the Pigeon
Drive the Bus!” “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary
Tale,” and “Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs” were true masterpieces in
their own right and now I have the pleasure of reading his most recent
children’s book “That is NOT a Good
Idea!”
One day, a hungry fox meets up with a female goose and he
invites the goose to dinner! At the same
time, there is a group of baby chicks who are warning the goose about not
accepting the fox’s dinner invitation during the page breaks by saying:
“That is NOT a Good Idea!”
Now, judging by the extremely short description I just gave
out, this book would seem like it is going to be too simple to read
through. NO, IT IS NOT! Mo Willems
has once again managed to create one hilarious and creative picture book that
also gives the readers one heck of a surprise ending! I loved the way that Mo Willems set this book up like a silent movie as there are no
dialogue texts on the pictures, but there are dialogue texts on the black pages
of the book which also has gorgeous white boxed borders surrounding the pages,
giving it an exotic feel. I also loved
the baby chicks that show up in between the story as they try to warn the goose
about not taking up the fox’s offer for dinner by saying:
“That is NOT a Good Idea!”
I think it is a clever way to get children engaged in the
story as they can repeat the saying “That
is NOT a Good Idea!” whenever the goose is doing something wrong in the
story or whenever the baby chicks come into the story. Mo
Willems’ artwork is as usual hilarious and creative to look at as the
setting seems to take place in an old Victorian - like town that is mostly
shown in brown colorings. I also loved
the way that the goose has white feathers and small yellow eyes that make her
look innocent and I personally think that the blue scarf on her head added a
nice motherly touch to her character.
The little chicks were also cute as they have rounded yellow bodies and
small black dotted eyes. I really loved
the appearance of the fox himself as he is dressed up in elegant clothes and
yet he always has a sneaky look on his face which makes you know that he is not
to be trusted.
Parents should know that the ending of this book might be a
bit too jarring for some small children.
Now, I will not tell you what really happened at the end of the book
(although it is extremely surprising), but let us just say that the ending is
sort of reminiscent of “The Spider and
the Fly,” in a sense. For those of
you who have read “The Spider and Fly,”
you might know exactly what to expect from the ending of this book.
Overall, “That is NOT
a Good Idea” is a truly brilliant book from the mastermind of Mo Willems and I am sure that many
children who are huge fans of Mo
Willems’ work will enjoy this book also!
As for a little recommendation, if you want to read a book that also
discusses about the dangers of meeting a potential dangerous stranger, then
check out “The Spider and Fly.” “That is NOT a Good Idea” and “The Spider
and the Fly” are vaguely similar in tone and style (although “That is NOT a Good Idea” is much more
hilarious and light-hearted)!
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