Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet (Paperback)

by Diane Degroat (Illustrator) "Look, Gilbert. I'm a ballerina!..." (more)
Key Phrases: Captain Zigg, Martian Space Pilot

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Gilbert and his sister accidentally switch costumes for their school's Halloween parade. "This cross-dressing caper gets primary-grade humor just right," said PW. Ages 5-up. (Aug.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-Having packed his Martian Space Pilot costume in his bag, Gilbert, the hedgehog introduced in Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink (Morrow, 1996), trots off to school for a holiday parade and party. Imagine his dismay when he discovers that he has taken his sister Lola's sack and her pink ballerina outfit by mistake. As five of his classmates also decided to be Martian Space Pilots, it's not an unmitigated disaster-so he squeezes into the tutu and toughs it out, encountering surprise but not a trace of derision from his peers. Well, it could happen. De Groat moves her human-proportioned animal cast between a comfortable suburban neighborhood dotted with colorful autumn leaves and a school restroom where the boys change clothes. However skeptical they may be of the mild reaction to Gilbert's costume, young viewers will enjoy the glimpses of loudly colored underwear (plus, for many girls, exotic bathroom plumbing). Despite severely undersized tights, Gilbert isn't made to look all that ludicrous or uncomfortable. Although Lola reclaims her costume for the evening's trick-or-treating, she and her brother at least tinker with gender stereotypes, and that may plant seeds in some readers' minds.
John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688157661
• ISBN-13: 978-0688157661
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,612,635 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Three-Year-Old's Favorite, May 11, 2002

By	Kathy "anotherbibliophile" (Tempe, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet (Mulberry Books) (Paperback)

This is a terrific book, and not just for Halloween. The story of Gilbert the opossum and his mishaps was cute enough to reread several hundred times. I know this because my 3-year-old fell in love with Gilbert and Lola and we're still reading the book in May. I'm looking forward to reading deGroat's other Gilbert books, but it took me a long time to find them online. If you're looking for more Gilbert books, here's the list: Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink (1996), Happy Birthday to You, You Belong in a Zoo (1999), Jingle Bells, Homework Smells (2000), We Gather Together...Now Please Get Lost! (2001), Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite! (2002).

5.0 out of 5 stars Loving Gilbert!, May 25, 2009

By	A. Roberts (Milpitas, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet (Mulberry Books) (Paperback)

My students and I love Gilbert and friends. We were happy to add this book to our collection.

5.0 out of 5 stars Gilbert, October 6, 2007

By	A. D. Cox (northern PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet (Mulberry Books) (Paperback)

Let me tell you a feel-good story. It involves love - the love of a mother for her daughter, and a child's passionate, exhilarated, uncomplicated love for books. This is the true story of Deb Raymer, and her daughter Sabrina, and how I came to know them. This holiday season, I am grateful that Deb has shared parts of her story, and that through her mom, Sabrina has shared a wonderful cast of characters previously unknown to me.

A couple of months ago, Deb asked me to help her find a series of books. All Sabrina wants for Christmas is "Gilbert". Deb needed to order multiple copies of each book in the collection, she explained. Sabrina loves the "Gilbert" books so much, that she reads them to pieces. Literally. While I am always thrilled to see someone who loves books that much, that's not even the best part of the story. Sabrina is mentally and physically handicapped. She has a job at Partners in Progress that she enjoys. Whenever she rides to work on the bus, she has a "Gilbert" book - or two, or three - in her bag, and she "reads" them to the other passengers. Sabrina has memorized her favorite books. Her mother needs to keep buying new copies of them because Sabrina pages through them so much and so often that they fall apart.

Gilbert, the hedgehog, and his sister Lola, are creations from the paintbrush and pen of Diane de Groat. This author/illustrator started working in children's literature by doing the artwork for some well-known children's authors, such as Lois Lowry and Eve Bunting. De Groat started on her Gilbert series in 1996 with "Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink", which is still Sabrina's favorite.

I hadn't heard of de Groat, and Deb gave my literary ego a boost by reassuring me that I'm not alone. Often, when Deb and Sabrina have searched for Gilbert in libraries and bookstores, he is nowhere to be found. So, it's time to spread the word. Diane de Groat has created a fun, inexpensive series with sympathetic characters, situations that kids can relate to, and a little lesson that doesn't come across like a 2"x 4" to the forehead. The titles themselves produce a smile for kids and adults alike. Now there's a Gilbert for every season in a child's life. A reader can start school with Gilbert in "Brand New Pencils, Brand New Books" and end the school year with the companion volume, "No More Pencils, No More Books! No More Teacher's Dirty Looks!" In these final months of the year, we have been enjoying "We Gather Together, Now Please Get Lost" for Thanksgiving, and "Jingle Bells, Homework Smells" for Christmas.

The Gilbert books have been so successful that now his sister Lola has her own series, books for slightly younger children, that often include Gilbert, but from Lola's point-of-view. When Lola can't decide what to be for Halloween, she finally decides to be "a Gilbert", because she knows he's an original. I think Sabrina and Lola are on to something good.

Author,"Hobo Finds A Home"