Ollie's Easter Eggs

Publishers Weekly

Gossie, Gertie, BooBoo, and Peedie—the tiny but assertive ducks from the Gossie & Friends series—gather, dye, and hide eggs for Easter. But Ollie, wearing a pink bunny-eared bonnet, moves the eggs to a hiding spot, leading to some searching and hunting on the part of the others. The simple declarative phrases and gently humorous illustrations are just right for the age group, but the ending is jarringly abrupt. Stickers are included. Ages 3–7. (Feb.)

Kirkus Reviews

Gossie, Gertie, BooBoo and Peedie are all busy preparing for Easter, gathering, dying and hiding their eggs. Ollie, on the other hand, is ... hopping, and the little brown gosling sports a pink bonnet with bunny ears. Dunrea's characteristically minimal, clean composition features wee vignettes on generous white space, depicting his quirky characters engaged in their seasonal pursuits, with the occasional bug, snail or turtle kibitzing. As with all of his books, the overall effect is just this side of too-cute-for-words, landing it in exactly the right range of adorable. Although toddlers and young preschoolers may be mystified at the madness behind Ollie's method, as he steals his compatriots' hidden eggs and then hides them again, there'll be more than pleased by his triumphant ending. (stickers) (Picture book. 2-5)

From the Publisher

"The simple declarative phrases and gently humorous illustrations are just right for the age group...Stickers are included."—Publishers Weekly

"Gossie and her friends are back, dyeing Easter eggs...As in the other "Gossie and Friends" books, the illustrations are bright watercolors against a white background. Fans and newcomers alike will be delighted with this latest installment."—School Library Journal

"As with all of his books, the overall effect is just this side of too-cute-for-words, landing it in exactly the right range of adorable. Although toddlers and young preschoolers may be mystified at the madness behind Ollie’s method, as he steals his compatriots’ hidden eggs and then hides them again, there’ll be more than pleased by his triumphant ending."—Kirkus

Children's Literature - Summer Whiting

The little chicks are hard at work preparing their Easter eggs! Gossie, Gertie, BooBoo, and Peedie are gathering the eggs and dying them vibrant colors. Ollie, on the other hand, is too busy hopping around wearing bunny ears, but there is a problem. He wants Easter eggs, too. The chicks find just the right spot for their beloved eggs: beneath the soft straw, tucked away in the tulips, and even right under a turtle, until Ollie comes along! One by one he rolls them to his special spot. The little chicks begin to look for their eggs. No luck! Ollie hops by. They follow him and, low and behold, there are the eggs! This charming story will delight young readers. This would make a great tool to introduce reading strategies such as making predictions and sequencing events. The illustrations, created by using ink and watercolor, are colorful and engaging and are sure to elicit giggles from adults and children alike. Affordably priced, this would make a wonderful addition to any young person's library. Reviewer: Summer Whiting

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1—Gossie and her friends are back, dyeing Easter eggs. Donning bunny ears, little Ollie shouts that he wants some too. After each of the other geese hides a brightly colored egg somewhere on the farm, Ollie stealthily removes it. Soon the others begin searching for their stashes, while Ollie is preparing a surprise. As in the other "Gossie and Friends" books, the illustrations are bright watercolors against a white background. Fans and newcomers alike will be delighted with this latest installment.—Laura Butler, Mount Laurel Library, NJ

School Library Journal

PreS—Gossie, Gertie, BooBoo, and Peedie each dye their Easter eggs red, blue, purple, and yellow, respectively. Gossie hides hers in the grass. Gertie hides her in a haystack. BooBoo hides hers in a pot filled with tulips. And Peedie hides his under a green turtle. A while later, the goslings are surprised when they find their eggs missing and go on a real Easter egg hunt. They find them wrapped in shiny green ribbon as Ollie proudly looks on. Small, creative details appear hidden on each page, such as a snail, a butterfly, a piece of green ribbon, a frog, and a spider. Ollie sports an adorable rabbit-ear cap. The crisp illustrations, done in pen, ink, and gouache, show the characters in action. For example, each time Ollie hides an egg, he has to use his beak, or webbed feet, while pushing very hard, which emphasizes his small size and weight, in relation to the egg. Fans of Dunrea's series will love this new installment. It's festive and pure fun.—Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY