THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! by Mo Willems

Williams, Mo. 2013. THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA! New York: Balzer + Bray.

ISBN 9780062203090. 

Plot Summary:

The story is narrated by six gosling chicks that appear to be watching the events unfold from the eyes of a silent movie audience member. The story begins when a well-dressed fox makes eye contact with a lovely goose and politely asks if she would like to take a stroll with him. The coy goose accepts and the goslings warn, “That is NOT a good idea!” As the tale progresses the sly fox leads the gullible goose to his kitchen where he is preparing a soup for his dinner. All through the story the goslings continue to overstate that the events are not a good idea. The conclusion of the tale reveals a plot twist showing young readers that things are not always as they seem. Children young and old will find the story humorous with a surprising ending.    

Critical Analysis:

The characters of the sly fox, the gullible goose and the excitable goslings are excellent to attract young children to the book itself. The use of limited text, large font and exceptional illustrations make the book easy to read and captivating. The setting of the story begins in a city, then moves to an isolated forest and finally ends in the foxes kitchen. The entire events transpire in a short period of time and within walking distance of the beginning of the tale. This movement of setting and the event that transpire help the story create a foreshadowing of bad things to come.  

The illustrations are done in a cartoony fashion with the protagonist, antagonist and narrators colored brighter than the background objects. This helps the read keep their focus on the characters and less on the surroundings. The use of black bordered pages in a silent movie style and the attire of the fox give the story a classic look and enhance the ominous mood.

The use of animals as the main characters in a story eliminates any cultural markers. This allows all children from varies cultures can read this story and enjoy it without feeling included or excluded from the characters.

Review Excerpt:

Mo Willems is a three-time Caldecott Honor winner and author of numerous popular children’s books. On April 1, 2013, Kirkus Reviews stated that this book was, “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-a-louds and discussions of fable and fairy-tale motifs.” (Kirkus, 2013).

Connections:

I connected this book to that of MILLIONS OF CATS by Wanda Gág. The similarities that I found in the two stories were that of their endings. Both stories led readers down a path which had a twist at the end. In MILLIONS OF CATS the old man brings back too many cats to take care of so he asks the cats to decide which was the prettiest. In the end, the cat that prevailed was the homeliest of them all.

Personal Response:

I used FaceTime on my iPad in order to contact my three year old grandson to read-a-loud this story. I was able to show him the illustrations and add to the text by explaining more details that were shown in the pictures. As the goslings would repeat, “That is really, really, really NOT a good idea,” my grandson would laugh and repeat the “really, really” lines. As the story progressed, I would ask him what would happen next and we both laughed at the twist in the ending. I have read many Mo Willems books as a Childrens’ Assistant and know what impact he has on children. I would highly recommend this book and any of Mr. Willems’ numerous others to parents and children alike. They are all excellent beginner reader books and read-a-louds in person or virtual.    

References:

“THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!” Kirkus Reviews last modified April 1, 2013, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mo-willems/not-good-idea/ (accessed September 8, 2013).

“THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!” https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGodM7nb7fa7l8fJSSNGfN_Tl2PJWxncTfmrJUGf9XkWCUWcfPfMqaLwypL5TtYvXH72Tj3I-t4g16JLJiEdAsWDfqnQkD7xH42j0IE2j9vhR7N45G5PXp4tQjGpHbKgoE2GF00qxTfLg/s1600/NOT+A+GOOD+IDEA.JPG (accessed September 8, 2013).