That's Good! That's Bad! (Owlet Book) [Paperback]

Margery Cuyler (Author), David Catrow (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: Owlet Book

A little boy has a series of adventures and misadventures with a bunch of wild animals.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the zoo a boy is lifted into the sky by his balloon. "Oh, that's good. No, that's bad! "--because the balloon pops when it hits a tree deep in the jungle. "Oh, that's bad. No, that's good! "--because the wide-eyed lad falls into a river and climbs onto a hippo, who takes him to shore. Thus incidents that appear to be positive turn out to be negative (and vice-versa) as the child confronts an extremely colorful bevy of animals, including baboons who chase him up a tree, a hissing snake whom he mistakes for a vine, a kindly elephant who pulls him out of quicksand and a stork who flies him back to the zoo, into the arms of his parents. Cuyler's ( Fat Santa ) fanciful tale is energized by exclamations ("WHEEEE!"; "WHOOPS!"; "GLUG! GLUG!") that beg to be read aloud. Catrow's witty cartoons paint the jungle in a humorous light and hilariously depict the boy's alternating terror and relief. And that's good ! Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-- A young boy's parents give him a bright red balloon one day at the zoo. "Oh, that's good," you might say. But no . . . that's bad , because he is whisked away into the sky--(that's good? no, that's bad!) and he falls into a prickly tree wherein the balloon pops. Surely, that's bad-- no, that's good because he is rescued from a muddy river by climbing onto the back of a giant hippo that carries him to shore. His adventures continue--for good or bad, or bad or good--until a stork that has picked him up returns him to his parents' arms. "Oh, that's good. No, that's GREAT! " This rollicking romp through the animal kingdom features vibrant, richly colored cartoon illustrations in a style that is reminiscent of Bill Peet's. It will keep children engaged from beginning to satisfying end. They'll beg for another reading, and--that's GOOD! --Mary Lou Budd, Milford South Elementary School, OH
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (October 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805029540
• ISBN-13: 978-0805029543
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous fun to read out loud!, September 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: That's Good! That's Bad! (Owlet Book) (Paperback)

This book is great fun to read out loud to preschoolers and young school children. Sound effects are written in (bang, whoosh, plop), so you don't need a lot of imagination, just a lot of expression. It is the story of a boy whose parents buy him a balloon at the zoo (that's good), and it lifts him up and away (that's bad). He is deposited in the jungle and meets a variety of helpful and not-so-helpful animals there. The illustrations are delightful, and it has a happy ending. It shows kids that you can have all sorts of adventures in the big wide world, and you can always come home to your loving parents.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little boy tumbles through adventure after adventure, December 13, 2001

By 

S. A. Farley "sally1590" (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: That's Good! That's Bad! (Owlet Book) (Paperback)

What if a balloon was so big it carried you away? That's what happens to the poor little boy in this story when his parents buy him a balloon at the zoo. What follows is a wonderfully imaginative and beautifully illustrated adventure packed full of wild animals and hair-raising situations.

My daughter loved this and has asked us to read it to her many times. It's delightful for parents, too, which is always a plus for the story-reader!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very imaginative, October 8, 2003

By 

DD67 "babyonahill" (Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: That's Good! That's Bad! (Owlet Book) (Paperback)

I have this book with a tape. I got the set from the children's scholastic magazine. I don't know if my kids would have enjoyed this book as much with out the tape. The tape has great background sounds. The Illustrations are very well done. And The idea of something seeming like it would be good, but then turning out bad and The other way around is very easy to understand in this book. A young boy gets lost from his parents and ends up in and out of danger until he makes his way back to his mom and dad. I would recommend this book for 4 to 6 year olds. The book does show the boy being chased by some angry scarry animals, I know this would be too scarry for my sensitive 2 1/2 year old, but my daughter loved this book when she was around 4 years old.