Review by Booklist Review
Reviewed with Olivier Dunrea's Ollie the Stomper. PreS. The creator of the Gossie books introduces a new sibling for Gossie and Gertie--Ollie the gosling, stubborn, impatient, and endearing. His independent streak becomes obvious in Ollie as his sisters try to coax him out of his egg. It's only after they lose interest that the ornery little goose breaks through the shell. Ollie the Stomper picks up soon after. Though just recently hatched, Ollie is already feeling left out. His sisters have colorful boots, and Ollie wants some, too. Each sister gives him one of her boots, but after stomping around the barnyard, the fickle Ollie decides that the weather is too hot for footwear but perfect for a swim. Both books feature bright, uncluttered ink-and-watercolor illustrations and simple, repetitive text. Their small trim size and manageable text make them just right for beginning readers. Preschoolers will relate to Ollie's point of view and delight in his humorous reactions to the new world he's discovering. --Jennifer Locke Copyright 2003 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this pair of winsome, small-format follow-ups to Gossie and Gossie & Gertie, Dunrea introduces yet another endearing gosling-but the introduction takes some pleasantly paced time. Or rather, Ollie, whom Dunrea introduces in the first tale as an egg, takes his time hatching, much to the chagrin of the impatient Gossie and Gertie. "This is Ollie./ Ollie is waiting." As the egg rolls to the left and rolls to the right, Ollie's stubborn voice from within the shell repeatedly and humorously insists, "I won't come out!"-a refrain that youngsters will eagerly echo. After chasing the rolling egg and even perching atop it, Gossie and Gertie offer some sage advice to Ollie ("Don't come out"), which of course triggers the much-anticipated hatching; Ollie, wearing a piece of the cracked eggshell on his head, pops up and announces "I'm out!" Fans of the books that introduced Gossie and Gertie will recognize the newcomer's behavior in the second story: he follows in his pals' tracks as they tromp, stomp, romp and jump, wearing their brightly colored rubber boots. When he shouts, "I want boots!" Gossie gives him one of her red boots and Gertie hands over a blue boot. But Dunrea establishes Ollie as his own man when he adds a twist to the proceedings. With their simple watercolors and narrative, along with diminutive heroes who assert a budding independence, these tales demonstrate once again how well their creator knows his audience. Ages 2-5. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-In Ollie, the duckling main character doesn't want to hatch. Friends Gossie and Gertie wait, watch, and cajole, but still he will not come out of the egg. In the follow-up book, Ollie covets the brightly colored rain boots of his friends, and traipses after Gossie and Gertie until they each share one of their boots with him. Despite thin plots, rudimentary illustrations, and flat characters, the simple sentences and vocabulary of these books makes them accessible to beginning readers. In the accompanying audio downloads, the narrator's voice sounds computer generated with little emotion or inflection to draw listeners in to the story. However, the simple navigation of the downloads, separate listening and read-along tracks, and under-three-minute running times make these audiobooks a good fit for the youngest readers.-Tara Hixon, Cashion Public Schools, OK (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
By the fire inside a round hut, "Mama rocks the cradle. / The cradle rocks Baby. / Baby softly sleeps." Then Mama, peeping out into the dark, sees snow falling. Bundling baby and self securely into furs, "Mama scoops up Baby / and trundles out the door" so that he can experience the snow. The gentle, rhythmical rocking of the text conveys a reassuring message that's beautifully supported by Dunrea's spare, snow-dappled gouache illustrations. From HORN BOOK Spring 2004, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Dunrea's group of cleanly attractive mini-volumes featuring gosling friends Gossie and Gertie grows by two. Gossie and Gertie gain a new friend in Ollie, who at first appears as just an egg, hilariously introduced in deadpan prose: "This is Ollie." Ollie stubbornly refuses to come out, despite Gossie and Gertie's exhortations. In true toddler fashion, as soon as Gossie and Gertie tell Ollie NOT to come out, he at last emerges. Ollie's story continues in Ollie the Stomper (ISBN 0-619-33830-2), when he follows Gossie and Gertie around and wishes he had boots like theirs, just as little siblings have always done. Dunrea's keen awareness of young children's concerns and quirks translates into charmingly simple illustrations and text. Plenty of white space reinforces the simplicity and keeps the focus on the appealing goslings; the large typeface and small trim size make these volumes especially appropriate for the youngest audience. (Picture book. 2-4) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
