Author | Mo Willems |
---|---|
Illustrator | Mo Willems |
Language | English |
Subject | Children's literature, Picture book |
Published | 2013 (Balzer + Bray) |
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Print (hardback, paperback) |
Pages | 44 |
ISBN | 9780062203090 |
OCLC | 839435699 |
That Is NOT a Good Idea! is a 2013 children's picture book written and illustrated by Mo Willems. First published by Balzer + Bray, it is about a plump fowl that meets a fox, and is persuaded to follow the fox to its house in the woods, all the while being observed, as if on a movie screen, by a group of young birds that regularly shout the title words.
In 2015, Weston Woods released a film adaptation of the book, with ragtime music by Lucas Elliot Eberl, and animated by Pete List. It won the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Videos in 2016.
That is NOT a good idea! has been reviewed by a number of publications, including The Horn Book Magazine,[1] Kirkus Reviews,[2] and Publishers Weekly.[3]
Visual and audio elements combine perfectly to enhance this deliciously silly story that has a satisfying twist, sure to entertain the most sated audience.
Using signature bold lines, Willems' illustrations are as satisfyingly expressive and comic as his previous work featuring fowl (his pigeon makes a cameo appearance here, though not an obvious one). Exceptionally observant readers may anticipate the twist, but that won't spoil the enjoyment of this fun-loving fractured fable. Minimal text makes this book ideal for read-alouds and discussions of fable and fairy-tale motifs.