School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gideon is a "small ruddy gosling who likes to play. All day." This fun-loving, feathered fellow explores the farm and engages in such activities as "chase-the-piglet," "find-the-eggs," and "tag-the-mole." His mother calls, but Gideon keeps replying, "No nap! I'm playing!" After climbing to the top of a haystack and snuggling down in the straw, sleepiness wins out. In Gideon and Otto, children meet the gosling's favorite friend. When the toy octopus goes missing, a search of the leaf pile and pond ensues. Otto's triumphant return is on the back of a turtle. Dunrea's ink-and-watercolor illustrations capture Gideon's ebullient personality-feathers fly when he is racing to his next adventure, and his beloved stuffed toy is tucked under his wing when he is quietly reading a book. With their pitch-perfect texts and charming characters, these stories are ideal for toddlers.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.