Customer Reviews

Gus and Button

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My son received this book when he was not quite three, and two years later we still love reading this book together. It is charming and original. One of our favorite storybooks... I would highly recommend it.

My son, who's just turned 5, loved this book. So did my 50 year old brother-in-law when he read it to my son. It had us all laughing looking at the pictures made of fruits and vegetables. The characters are charming, Belle the red pepper, Pip the Apple, and Cecil the Orange, as well as Gus and Button, the mushroom child and his dog. Many hours of reading and re-reading the story and going back and finding all the different fruits and vegetables that made up the pictures.

Another great collaborative effort between Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers. The wonderful pictures, made entirely from vegetables and fruits, show the transition from Gus's home of dull, brown mushrooms to the bright and colorful city of "Cornucopia". During a storm, Gus--a mushroom, sees something green fly through the air. He and his dog, Buttons, head off into the forrest of artichokes to find from where something so beautiful has come. During his adventure, Gus discovers the identity of the green "thing" (a baby pea), and returns him to his mother. Upon his return home, Gus reveals what he learned on his journey, "...to really see what's our there, you need more than open eyes. When I keep my wits about me and I keep an open mind, EVERYWHERE I look I am surprised by what I find!" Everyone will enjoy the story of Gus and Buttons, but the pictures will be the most entertaining. A good book to share, but be cautious when sharing with too many, because everyone will want to sit close to see the details of the fruits and vegetables in the pictures!

For sheer creativity and color, "Gus and Button" is a genuine joy to behold. Each page offers a wealth of sub-plots and story possibilities, allowing young minds free rein in blazing their own trails through the forest. As a doting grandpa, I have found the story a marvellous catalyst for interacting with my five little ones. "Gus and Button" is one of those rare books that challenges the mind and fires the imagination, bringing young readers back again and again. Bravo!

Every Thursday for the past 2 years I have read to a predominately Latino, 2nd grade class and it is fascinating to see what illicits stronger responses than others. This charming book held their attention, illicited many oohs and aahs and was more than just clever imagery. The story leads you down a road that makes it possible for the reader and the listener to learn what it means to be open minded and to truly look at something, because there is always more than meets the eye.

I have been collecting children's books for almost 20 years and this is one of my all time favorites. Lucky for me my three year old loves it as well. What a feast for the imagination and heart alike.

I bought this book for myself after spying it in a bookstore. Illustrated with fruits and vegitables, it tells the story of a mushroom man and his mushroom dog (pig?) who discover a colorful world outside of their home. It is cleverly and beautifully illustrated and the story of exploration and reunion is touching. My children, ages 8, 6 and 1 1/2, love it almost as much as I do!

A friend of mine bought this book for her niece. I read it and absolutely fell in love with it. The pictures are so descriptive and really quite amazing. The use of food really adds a unique and adorable edge to this book. I have since bought the book for my niece and nephew and plan on reading this book to my own children over and again as soon as I have them. In the mean time, any time I need to smile, I will pull this book out to brighten my day. The message is also very "apeeling" :)

Poor little Gus and his dog, Button, live in a drab, brown mushroom world. One day a great wind comes up, and blows a bright green "something" by their window. Color! Gus is so curious and intrigued, that he and Button decide to venture out into the cold, harsh world, and find out where this beautiful green thing came from. So off they go on the journey of a lifetime, through the dangerous Howling Forest to see who and what lives on the other side..... Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers are playing with their food again, and have filled this inventive story with color, imagery and magic. Their simple, rhyming text is kept to a minimum. The real story is told in their amazing and innovative illustrations. Scores of fruits and vegetables come to life as people, places, and things, and dance creatively through these pages as artichoke trees, friendly apples, oranges and peppers, mushroom people, watermelon boats, red cabbage rivers, and much, much more. Youngsters will be mesmerized as they pore over the artwork, always finding something new and exciting with each reading. Perfect for kids 4 and older, Gus And Button is a vibrant feast for the eyes that shouldn't be missed. If you're new to authors Freymann and Elffer, make sure you go back and read their earlier books, How Are You Peeling and One Lonely Sea Horse for more produce fun.

And I'm an adult. Every time my daughter goes to the shelf to get a book for story time this is the book I hope she brings back. The pages are always fresh, it seems like every time I turn the page I see something new that I hadn't seen before. My daughter loves the story and can fill in the rhyming words for me. What can I say, the effort that went in to produce this book is obvious, and the rewards are great.