Bibliographic Data
That
Is Not a Good Idea by
Mo Willems
Publisher: Balzer &
Bray ©2013
ISBN: 9780062203090
Plot
Summary
Mo Willems is at it again with exasperated dialogue and
whimsical characterization extremes, but this time he has a surprise ending. Designed
with the aesthetics of a silent film, a wolf lures a seemingly naive duck into
his kitchen. She innocently hovers over the boiling soup only to push in the
wolf. The audience ducklings who we thought were warning her during whole story
(of what a “bad idea” it was to follow the wolf) join her for dinner.
Critical
Analysis
According to Vardell’s Children’s Literature in Action, “For
young children ‘reading’ the pictures are an important part of early literacy”
(p. 44). The illustrations are the epitome of Willems style, simple shapes and
darkly outlined. Mo Willems simplifies the story by spreading one line at a
time over the two-page spread. Children have nothing to be distracted or
confused by making this book an ideal choice for early literacy storytimes.
This story tempts the reader with foreshadowing only to flip
them over with a surprise ending. Upon deceit older children may examine the
pictures and dialogue only to find no signs of trickery, only our preconceived
notions have lead us astray. After all isn’t the wolf always the bad guy? The
first illustration shows a non-directional, red line between the characters so
there was no way of knowing who uttered the line, “What luck! Dinner!” Willems
surprise twist invites further musing.
Like many of Willems books
this story is entirely dialogue. The stylized fonts and punctuation encourage
pauses and emphasis when reading aloud. Watch for the repeating line- another
one of Willem’s MO’s. Books that have repeating lines are frequently
recommended for developing early literacy skills, so a librarian could
justifiably add this to his or her storytime collection.
Review Exerpts
“By the time the
story reaches its peak, you can practically hear the Wurlitzer throbbing, and
kids will be squirming with tense glee” – Ian Chipman (Booklist, May 15, 2013
(Vol. 109, No. 18))
“The climax proves that appearances can be deceiving, as the
anticipated conclusion is turned on its head. Using signature bold lines,
Willems' illustrations are as satisfyingly expressive and comic as his previous
work.” -Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2013 (Vol. 81, No. 7))
Connections
After reading aloud, enjoy it again as a puppet show.
Practice looking for foreshadowing by asking questions
during the story. After the ducklings
lines of lament, ask the audience to raise their hands if they believe the duck
will meet her end.
Ask questions pertaining to characterization as you read,
like, “Is the wolf clever? How about the duck? And the ducklings?”
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