Review by Booklist Review
Ages 3-5. When a small boy's parents buy a large, red balloon at the zoo for their child, little do they realize the repercussions of their actions. Whisking the youngster up into the air, the balloon bursts when it bumps into a tree branch, and the boy is dumped into a river full of hippopotamuses. From there, he has the wildest, zaniest adventures as he travels from one exhibit to the next in the most unconventional way. Each time he meets a threatening resident (baboons, a snake, a giraffe, elephants, and a lion), he is miraculously rescued. Finally, a passing stork snags the boy and drops him safely into the waiting arms of his anxious parents. Cuyler uses the familiar "That's good! That's bad!" refrain adroitly, but it is political cartoonist Catrow's deft hand that makes the picture book work. The action-packed, humorous color drawings of the boy and the animals offer tantalizing panoramas and perspectives with just the right amount of hyperbole. A surefire hit, the book amuses, delights, and frightens, all within the safe confines of the pages. Young children will vicariously enjoy the small boy's risky escapades. ~--Deborah Abbott
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
At the zoo a boy is lifted into the sky by his balloon. ``Oh, that's good. No, that's bad! ''--because the balloon pops when it hits a tree deep in the jungle. ``Oh, that's bad. No, that's good! ''--because the wide-eyed lad falls into a river and climbs onto a hippo, who takes him to shore. Thus incidents that appear to be positive turn out to be negative (and vice-versa) as the child confronts an extremely colorful bevy of animals, including baboons who chase him up a tree, a hissing snake whom he mistakes for a vine, a kindly elephant who pulls him out of quicksand and a stork who flies him back to the zoo, into the arms of his parents. Cuyler's ( Fat Santa ) fanciful tale is energized by exclamations (``WHEEEE!''; ``WHOOPS!''; ``GLUG! GLUG!'') that beg to be read aloud. Catrow's witty cartoons paint the jungle in a humorous light and hilariously depict the boy's alternating terror and relief. And that's good ! Ages 4-7. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2A cheerful calypso beat by Chris Kubie introduces this recording of Margery Cuyler's That's Good! That's Bad (Holt, 1991). A pleasant male voice reads the story of a boy's zoo adventures slowly and clearly, as a chorus of expressive children's voices chant the refrain, "That's good" or "That's bad." Having children interact with the reader on the tape is excellent, emphasizing the participatory nature of the tale. Children reading along in the book will have no trouble following the story and will enjoy the lively pictures by David Catrow. One side of the cassette includes page turn signals (the sound of a turning page). This is a very nice resource for learning centers and beginning readers. It might even encourage young writers to try their hand at this type of story.-Elizabeth C. Fiene, Clermont County Public Library, Bethel, OH (c) Copyright 2010. 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
A boy at the zoo, carried off by his huge red balloon, experiences a series of lucky escapes, taking him from one danger to another. Interjected comments such as 'oh, that's good. No, that's bad!' end each page spread, moving the book swiftly on to the next crisis. The suspenseful text is vigorously illustrated in an appropriately exaggerated manner. From HORN BOOK 1991, (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.
