Party Animals

March 22, 2010
A birthday invitation readers can remove from an envelope cleverly ushers them into Today Show
host Gifford's chirpy story about finicky Lucy Goosy, who “wanted her party to be simply the best,/ so she had to be careful when choosing each guest.” It's no easy task: Pig will eat all the food, Goat is always in a bad mood, poky Turtle will be late, and Bee is too busy to leave his hive. The meter is on target, but the verse can be weak (“If I invite Ant, I'll get ants in my pants!”). Danish artist Alexandersen portrays the animals with comedic hyperbole. Self-indulgent Cat models a snazzy new gown, Cow wears a ruffled frock while eating hay with fork and knife, and cocky Rooster performs on stage while wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses. In a fairly treacly denouement, Owl chastises Lucy for being too critical and advises her to invite everyone: “Yes, each has a gift that no one else gives./ So let's celebrate how different each one of us is!” Gifford sings the lyrics on an accompanying CD. Ages 4–8.

October 1, 2010

PreS-Gr 2-This picture book opens with a removable invitation to Lucy Goosy's birthday party. As the bird contemplates which of the farm animals to invite, however, she finds fault with each potential guest. She seeks advice from Owl, who points out that no one is perfect, including Lucy herself. He encourages the critical goose to celebrate her friends' differences instead. Rhyming text with plenty of dialogue gets right to the heart of the story. "'I can't invite Pig. She'll eat all the food.'/'And Goat is always in such a bad mood!'" Alexandersen's artwork brings out Lucy's criticisms and will elicit giggles from children. Horse, for instance, sits eating a grass sandwich at a classroom desk. The final spread catches the party in full swing, wild with activity. An accompanying CD contains a pleasant mix of Gifford reading and singing, with appropriate sound effects added. It also includes Gifford singing an upbeat song about kids moving; unfortunately, the lyrics for that selection are not in the book. This story with a message would fit well into larger picture-book collections, but it's strictly an additional purchase.-Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Richfield, OH

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