Lois Lowry is also known for her Anastasia books. She and illustrator Middy Thomas collaborated on the earlier Gooney Bird Greene books. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
As if hearing PW's plea, made with the first book, Gooney Bird Greene ("Youngsters will likely hope that Gooney Bird has enough tales stored in her fertile imagination to fill another volume"), the star marches forth for a third volume, Gooney the Fabulous by Lois Lowry, illus. by Middy Thomas. Everyone in her class seems excited by Gooney's idea to act out Aesop's fables--that is, everyone but Nicholas. But Gooney has a plan to get him on board. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Gr 1-3-Gooney Bird Greene returns for a third installment. Here, her second-grade class is learning about fables. In typical Gooney fashion, the precocious child takes over her classroom by suggesting that everyone write a new fable. Mrs. Pidgeon encourages her enthusiasm by letting her direct the project, and each subsequent chapter is dedicated to a student's work, including one fable about a T. rex done as a rap, concluding with, "Big mean nuthin' if you don't do school!" Given the age of these children, they are amazingly adept at writing, reading, and giving presentations, and they run into only minor glitches with their fables. While it is refreshing to hear from the other members of the class so clearly dominated by Gooney Bird, their creations lack the zest that hers usually have. Fortunately, her eccentric outfits and words of wisdom are peppered throughout to keep the story moving along while Thomas's characteristic black-and-white illustrations provide nice visuals. Full of new vocabulary words and information about fables, this slightly didactic first chapter book is a must for Gooney Bird fans.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
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