BooBoo

Publishers Weekly

To his fetching flock of goslings (Gossie & Gertie; Ollie) Dunrea adds two welcome and worthy feathered friends. Each of these tiny creatures, like their predecessors, has a distinct personality and a penchant for doing something that will spark recognition in adults and youngsters alike. "Peedie forgets things. Even when Mama Goose reminds him." And BooBoo is a curious blue gosling who "likes to eat from morning till night. Every day." There is one thing that Peedie never forgets, however: to wear his lucky red baseball cap. Well, almost never. When one day he puts the hat in a "secret place" but forgets where, his search for it turns up some endearing images: only the gosling's webbed feet stick up as he looks in the pond; and again, only his bottom half is visible as he searches under a flower pot. BooBoo's insatiable appetite compels her to visit other farm animals and sample their rations, each time announcing, with kid-pleasing repetition, "Good food." But she discovers that she likes to eat almost but not quite "everything" after swallowing a soap bubble, which results in a comical succession of burps, and a burst of bubbles. Dunrea's simply charming ink-and-watercolor art reveals an endearing supporting cast of diminutive critters (turtle, spider, snail) observing the goslings' antics. In what may be a good omen for fans of this growing gang, Peedie finds his lost cap atop a gosling egg. Ages 2-5. (Aug.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

AGERANGE: Ages 3 mo. to 3.

BooBoo is a little gosling and is a lovely shade of blue. She seems to be insatiable because she eats everything in sight. She eats all the food in her own bowl and then makes the rounds enjoying food from the other animals' dishes. Her favorite expression after tasting and consuming everything in sight is, "Good food." She is a marvel because even with all that food she is still a tiny little goose. One day while swimming in the pond and eating some tasty weeds, BooBoo spots some bubbles. She swallows one and then she starts to burp and when she does, bubbles appear. Her friend the turtle advises that she drink a lot of water and then she only burps one very tiny blue bubble. And what does BooBoo say? "Good food," of course. The story is cute, but the closing scene might give kids some food for thought as she stares up at a bees' nest, which might prove to be a not so tasty treat. The simple illustrations set on crisp white pages are a delight. BooBoo is a very appealing little gosling and the story and repetitive text will delight young listeners. Recently reissued. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-A new twosome joins Dunrea's gaggle of geese stories. BooBoo will eat anything and everything-from the contents of her own plate to the chicken's grain to weeds, all to the refrain of "Good food." When she ingests a bubble that floats above the pond, she can't stop burping until she sips a bit of water and proclaims, "Good food." The last picture shows her reaching her beak toward a beehive. Peedie is easily distracted and, therefore, a forgetful gosling. His lucky red baseball cap is the only thing he consistently remembers until he decides to put it in a secret place and temporarily loses it. His search results in a happy ending. Though perhaps not as strongly plotted as Gossie and Gossie and Gertie (both Houghton, 2002), these offerings still share a winsome sensibility that invites audiences to delight in the fowls' antics. The simple artwork features plenty of white space, bright colors, and a clean line that attracts the eye. Dunrea's feathered characters have the look and feel of preschoolers rapt in their own discovery of the world. The texts have short sentences, repetition, and a rhythm that make them just right for even the youngest toddlers.-Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha's Public Library, WI Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Dunrea adds to his almost-twee goose adventures with Peedie, a small yellow gosling and BooBoo, a small blue gosling. Peedie wears a red baseball cap-everywhere. He might forget to tidy his nest or turn the egg, but he never forgets his cap. Until, one day, he does. He searches for it everywhere-in the tall grass, under the flowerpot-but only finds it when Mama Goose reminds him about the egg once more. BooBoo likes to eat, and she nibbles from her own food bowl-and the mouse's and the goat's. She even tastes the weeds. But when she swallows some soap bubbles, much burping ensues. She's rescued by the turtle, who exhorts her to drink lots of water. The ink-and-watercolor illustrations are as simple as the text, and small children will recognize and relate to each story's tiny arc and resolution. (Picture book. 3-7)