By: Meg Rosoff Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 32 Publication Date: April 29, 2008 Reading Level: Ages 4-8 Release Date: April 29, 2008
Meet Jumpy Jack, a very nervous snail who’s afraid of monsters, and Googily, who is a—well, who is a very good friend, indeed. Wherever they go, Googily kindly checks high and low just to make sure there are no scary monsters about. But as every child knows, monsters come in many shapes and sizes. Some are even blue with hairy eyebrows and pointy teeth.
Here is a universal story of friendship and fear of the unknown told with wit and charm by the fantastic team who created the irresistible Meet Wild Boars.
A New Favorite! Such a sweet and exciting book! My 5 year old was enthralled and asked question after question. She even noticed key elements on her own.
A great book to take a closer look at your fears and laugh a little at the ridiculousness of them!
WE LOVE GOOGILY What a perfect book for children who are afraid of monsters. And children who aren't. And their parents (you can read it over and over and not get bored, as three insistent under 8s have caused me to discover). Jumpy Jack and Googily is gentle, knowing and funny, even the blurb at the back of the book is hilarious. Highly recommended.
Fun Look at What We Find Scary I got this book after falling in love with Rosoff & Blackall's collaboration, "Meet Wild Boars." While "Jumpy Jack & Googlily" are slightly less enthusiastically received by my 2-two, we both like this book quite a lot.
I love finding the clues in the text and illustrations that prove what my son and I are already suspecting -- that Googily is indeed a monster. It's smart, a bit of a puzzle, and it keeps the reader and listener actively engaged -- which helps make repeat readings interesting.
This is the first "monster" book I've read with my son. I was a bit worried that it might create some monster-angst, much as I remember "Where the Wild Things Are" doing for me, but it hasn't. In fact, it presents monsters in a very unscary light.
While I doubt my two-year old is consciously pondering the philosophy of "the Other," this book successfully shares a story of a snail who is afraid of what (he thinks) he does not know. In the end we learn that a single sock may actually be much, much more frightening than a big, bug-eyed, blue, bushy-eyebrowed, two-fingered, thin-footed, bowler-hat-and-shorts wearing, monster - depending on the perspective through which we view the world.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
