Customer Reviews

Goggles

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My two year old loves _Whistle for Willie_, so I showed him a copy of _Goggles_.

The plot: Our friends Peter and Willie, with Peter's younger, bespectacled friend Archie, find a pair of motorcycle goggles. Peter and Willie are spotted by some rather dangerous looking "older boys." One of the older boys demands the goggles. After some uncertain and rather scary moments, the boys and dog outwit the older boys and escape to the safety of Archie's front porch.

The story has dark, gritty illustrations. I didn't live in an American ghetto in the 1960's, so I can only guess that Keats is accurately evoking the scene with his trademark colorful semi-abstract imagery. He uses collages and all the devices from Whistle for Willie to create a book that, for all the simplicity, looks like a movie. It reminds me of TV shows like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.

The book might be a bit "old" for the 2-year olds, considering the implied threat of violence in the plot, but my son just loves it.

If you're looking for another title by the author of Whistle for Willie, this is a good one!

...

I think this is a great book, along with the other books in the series. My two-year old daughter likes to read the books about Peter and in fact, will turn the pages and "read" the book herself, talking about the pictures which vividly tell the story. We live in the city and I like that these books are not set in the suburbs or countryside as many children's books only show that type of lifestyle. I would not characterize these books as being set in the ghetto or inner city as other reviewers have; I think it's just a portrayal of life in the city vs. the typical idyllic children's book setting.

This is the story of two boys who find a pair of motorcycle goggles. They wear them long enough for a group of older boys to try and take them. Fortunately the boys who found the goggles are wiley enough to escape. The last line of the story is cute..."Things look fine now!"

I gave this book a 5 because of the art work. Ezra Jack Keats is so talented! Rich vibrant colors mark the illustrations of two adventurers in the city. The illustrations by Keats are appealing because of their gritty realism and exciting colors. While the pictures will appeal to children, they also captivate the imaginations in all of us. Keats records part of our society and culture as children experience them.

Everybody should experience Ezra Jack Keats.

As a tyke in the 70's, I remember reading "Goggles!" many times and always finding myself emerced in the story. I now have twin boys that I can read it to and show them what their dad grew up with. Great book.

I've read other books by Ezra Jack Keats. I had expected this book to be on about the same reading level as the others, but the language is much simpler, with shorter sentences and fewer words per page. There's nothing wrong with that, but I was a little disappointed.

It's possible this story may be a little scary for younger children, featuring as it does the imminent threat from the bullies who want to snatch things from smaller children. Peter and his friend rescue themselves very cleverly - and that's a wonderful message for kids! - but you should probably read this book before you buy it.

This is a wonderful story about two good friends and their close encounter with the neighborhood "bad boys." My son first got this book when he was two and has enjoyed reading it ever since (he is now six). Great pictures, great comraderie, encountering danger of the bullying older boys without the reader feeling threatened. I highly recommend this book.

My great nephew who is four years old loves this story. Each time he visits my home he ask me to read Goggles to him. He has memorized many of the lines and can tell you the story from memory. The illustrations caught his attention immediately. This is a great book for boys and new readers.

I read this book and used the Linda Hoyt read aloud book as a guide. This is a fantastic book to use to teach sequence.

I like this book because there are big boys. They said, "Give me those goggles kid." Then Peter said, "No they're mine!" His dog Willie growled. That's my favorite part. I will give it 5 stars. Just to tell you that page is on page 3. I love this, it is awesome. PS: I have another favorite part, when the people go in the tube.
-Amber, Age 7

This book was very special to my brother and I as we grew up. We were attending an Elementry School in Knoxville Tn, (Brickey to be exact) and this was one of the books we both enjoyed very much. It was made even better when we discovered the school libary also had Goggles on tape as well, read by Rosie Greer,(which was very cool, even thinking about it now) with a light jazz keyboard soundtack that ran in the background that made the drama in the book even more fun. The art of course is first rate and fits this classic story. A fun book to read aloud...many, many times in a row.