GOSSIE & FRIENDS

Adorable goslings and numerous flaps will delight the dedicated fans of Gossie, Gertie, BooBoo, Peedie and Ollie. All but Ollie get their own spread to help preschoolers with concepts. Gossie, who likes red boots, has youngsters guessing where she lives. Gertie, who wears blue boots, is inseparable from Gossie as they go up and down, over and under. BooBoo, the blue gosling who likes to eat, asks readers to find the object that is also blue. Peedie is forgetful, except when it comes to his red baseball cap. He wears it through all four seasons and their attendant weather. The final spread asks preschoolers to count four friends, and then offers one last opportunity to lift a flap and peek inside a cracking egg—Ollie! This is a good follow-up or introduction to Dunrea’s other books about the goslings, but the uninitiated don’t have the background knowledge needed to truly appreciate this latest. Dunrea’s goslings are as appealing as ever. Simple figures on a white background focus attention on the details and concepts mentioned in the text. A wonderful addition to Gossie collections. (Picture book. 1-3)