What do you think?
Rate this book
That Is Not a Good Idea!
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Picture Books (2013)One day a very hungry fox meets a very plump goose. A dinner invitation is offered.
Will dinner go as planned? Or do the dinner plans involve a secret ingredient...?
(Don't forget to listen to the baby geese!)
Will dinner go as planned? Or do the dinner plans involve a secret ingredient...?
(Don't forget to listen to the baby geese!)
42 pages, Hardcover
First published April 23, 2013
31 people are currently reading
3,105 people want to read
About the author
Mo Willems
216Ìýbooks4,055Ìýfollowers#1 New York Times Bestselling author and illustrator Mo Willems is best known for his Caldecott Honor winning picture books Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny: a cautionary tale.
In addition to such picture books as Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, and Time to Pee, Mo has created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of early readers, and published You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons, an annotated cartoon journal sketched during a year-long voyage around the world in 1990-91.
The New York Times Book Review called Mo “the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 00's."
Mo’s work books have been translated into a myriad of languages, spawned animated shorts and theatrical musical productions, and his illustrations, wire sculpture, and carved ceramics have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the nation.
Mo began his career as a writer and animator for television, garnering 6 Emmy awards for his writing on Sesame Street, creating Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats, Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City and head-writing Codename: Kids Next Door.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family.
In addition to such picture books as Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, and Time to Pee, Mo has created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of early readers, and published You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons, an annotated cartoon journal sketched during a year-long voyage around the world in 1990-91.
The New York Times Book Review called Mo “the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 00's."
Mo’s work books have been translated into a myriad of languages, spawned animated shorts and theatrical musical productions, and his illustrations, wire sculpture, and carved ceramics have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the nation.
Mo began his career as a writer and animator for television, garnering 6 Emmy awards for his writing on Sesame Street, creating Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats, Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City and head-writing Codename: Kids Next Door.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,009 reviews
November 23, 2020
A dapper looking fox meets a goose and invites her on a stroll to his house in the woods. A dinner invitation is offered, and it is indeed not a good idea.
Well, my daughter has a new favorite book (a regular occurrence) but fortunately this is one that I fully approve of. It's actually quite amusing and short enough that the repetitive "Again, again!" don't feel like I'm spending an eternity rereading the same words over and over (Really , I love you, but if I never read you again, I'd be okay with that). This one has a charm of being a comedic story, having some nice aesthetic choices from my point of view (told very much like a silent film, with pages even looking like the old time dialogue captions they had) and having an ending that honestly I didn't expect on the first read. It's usual to find a dark comedy that is completely child friendly, but here we are and I am personally delighted.
All in all this is a charming read from what is apparently my daughter's first favorite author (between this, the Pigeon and all the Elephant and Piggie stories, Mr. Willems has brought much delight into her life). A solid 4/5 stars.
Well, my daughter has a new favorite book (a regular occurrence) but fortunately this is one that I fully approve of. It's actually quite amusing and short enough that the repetitive "Again, again!" don't feel like I'm spending an eternity rereading the same words over and over (Really , I love you, but if I never read you again, I'd be okay with that). This one has a charm of being a comedic story, having some nice aesthetic choices from my point of view (told very much like a silent film, with pages even looking like the old time dialogue captions they had) and having an ending that honestly I didn't expect on the first read. It's usual to find a dark comedy that is completely child friendly, but here we are and I am personally delighted.
All in all this is a charming read from what is apparently my daughter's first favorite author (between this, the Pigeon and all the Elephant and Piggie stories, Mr. Willems has brought much delight into her life). A solid 4/5 stars.
September 23, 2018
This is dark comedy for preschoolers and it’s hilarious??
(small fry thinks this is genuinely the funniest book we’ve read together and I don’t think I can disagree?)
(But also like this duck straight up murders someone and feeds him to her children so like.... maybe not for the sensitive child...)
(small fry thinks this is genuinely the funniest book we’ve read together and I don’t think I can disagree?)
(But also like this duck straight up murders someone and feeds him to her children so like.... maybe not for the sensitive child...)
July 2, 2017
Laid out in the format of a silent movie, this story tells of a conniving fox and a little duck spending time together. The audience (ducklings) announce how bad the various ideas become as things become more precarious for our feathered protagonist. Neo liked the 'picture only' and 'words only' pages, but does not think he would like a movie done like this.
July 6, 2015
"Would you like to continue our walk into the deep, dark woods?"
A dapper, fox in a Victorian suit meets a peasant-duck on the street. His eyes light up. He invites her to take a walk with him. The sweet duck blushingly accepts. On every page, the story gets more intense as the fox has another suggestion leading closer and closer to the end children know is coming.
After every question:
"Would you care to boil some water for soup?"
And the duck's innocent answer
"Certainly. I do love soup!"
A Greek chorus of little ducklings appears and warns threateningly: "That is NOT a good idea!"
The tension and anxiety builds and builds until finally
BOOYAH!
Children are delighted to no end with this book, it is a certain 5-year-old's favorite - she can even read the whole thing to me all by herself although she sometimes struggles with the word "ingredient" and the fox's wording of things. For instance, he says, "Would you care to go for a stroll?" And the 5-year-old always seems to think it should be "Would you like to go for a stroll?" But she's getting better with every reading, of course.
All children are delighted to see this book presented, ESPECIALLY if they think the grown-up reading it to them has never read this book before and doesn't know about the awesome ending. You can see them getting more and more excited as they read it to you, constantly checking your face for reactions and enjoying your anxiety and dismay that the duck is going to be murdered by this charming fox. Then they shriek and exclaim with glee when you get to the end.
This book is like the of picture books.
The book also has a kind of "silent film" theme that children won't pick up on but adults will appreciate, in which a picture is shown and then on the opposite page, a black "screen" appears with the dialogue the characters in the picture are supposed to be saying.
As always with Mo Willems, a fun, engaging, riotous read that children will not only be very interested in, but will want to read again and again. Highly recommended.
A dapper, fox in a Victorian suit meets a peasant-duck on the street. His eyes light up. He invites her to take a walk with him. The sweet duck blushingly accepts. On every page, the story gets more intense as the fox has another suggestion leading closer and closer to the end children know is coming.
After every question:
"Would you care to boil some water for soup?"
And the duck's innocent answer
"Certainly. I do love soup!"
A Greek chorus of little ducklings appears and warns threateningly: "That is NOT a good idea!"
The tension and anxiety builds and builds until finally
BOOYAH!
Children are delighted to no end with this book, it is a certain 5-year-old's favorite - she can even read the whole thing to me all by herself although she sometimes struggles with the word "ingredient" and the fox's wording of things. For instance, he says, "Would you care to go for a stroll?" And the 5-year-old always seems to think it should be "Would you like to go for a stroll?" But she's getting better with every reading, of course.
All children are delighted to see this book presented, ESPECIALLY if they think the grown-up reading it to them has never read this book before and doesn't know about the awesome ending. You can see them getting more and more excited as they read it to you, constantly checking your face for reactions and enjoying your anxiety and dismay that the duck is going to be murdered by this charming fox. Then they shriek and exclaim with glee when you get to the end.
This book is like the of picture books.
The book also has a kind of "silent film" theme that children won't pick up on but adults will appreciate, in which a picture is shown and then on the opposite page, a black "screen" appears with the dialogue the characters in the picture are supposed to be saying.
As always with Mo Willems, a fun, engaging, riotous read that children will not only be very interested in, but will want to read again and again. Highly recommended.
December 4, 2020
Mo Willems has quickly become one of my favourite children's authors.
Thanks to Tim for bringing this one to my attention.
Loved it!
April 24, 2013
And he does it again! This just came in the mail this afternoon. I've been patiently waiting for it to come out for months. I opened it, I read it, I loved it. Thinking that maybe I tend to like a book more just because Mo Willems is stamped on the front, I got a group of students passing through the library to read it, and they all left grinning. So, now I'm wondering, does Mo Willems have piles and piles of bad, mediocre, or even kind of good books lying around unpublished? Everything he releases is great, and stands out among picture books. Either he has some kind of supernatural talent, and simply only writes great books (Maybe he traded his soul for it?) Or he has a great editor who only lets him publish the very best that he has to offer. Whatever the case, this one will be a classic. It's the 2nd one on my Caldecott radar this year (the first one is The Dark by Snickett) I can't wait to read it next week.
January 6, 2015
When I first saw this I thought, Ugh, what is with the weird art? It looks like some crappy book from the 1980's! (I'm allowed to say that, because I grew up in the 1980's, and we had some crappy picture books. Trust me.)
Then I read it.
And laughed and laughed.
There is a good reason why this looks like one of the moralizing, good-for-young-people, picture books of yore. A very good reason. A hilarious reason. The book is clever and fun and my kids think it's a hoot. What more could you ask?
Then I read it.
And laughed and laughed.
There is a good reason why this looks like one of the moralizing, good-for-young-people, picture books of yore. A very good reason. A hilarious reason. The book is clever and fun and my kids think it's a hoot. What more could you ask?
March 13, 2018
2013: My six-year-old son loves this book. He is a good reader, but he prefers to read pages without much text, and this book delivers. Also, it's funny, and it's by his favorite author.
Immediately upon finishing this book, he wrote his second letter to Mo Willems.
Immediately upon finishing this book, he wrote his second letter to Mo Willems.
July 31, 2013
We are big fans of the series, so we get very excited when we discover a new book written by .
This is an entertaining story that follows the style of silent movies (a concept that I had to explain to our girls or else the charm would've been absolutely lost on them.) The story is dramatic, in the villain-preying-on-the-helpless-female kind of way, which is one of the main themes I've seen in silent movies.
The illustrations are colorful and cartoonish, and the goose and her chicks are absolutely adorable (even though I called her a duck at first.) The ending is hilarious and certainly makes you reconsider the character's motivations throughout the book. We really enjoyed reading this book together and we are looking forward to reading more books by this author.
This is an entertaining story that follows the style of silent movies (a concept that I had to explain to our girls or else the charm would've been absolutely lost on them.) The story is dramatic, in the villain-preying-on-the-helpless-female kind of way, which is one of the main themes I've seen in silent movies.
The illustrations are colorful and cartoonish, and the goose and her chicks are absolutely adorable (even though I called her a duck at first.) The ending is hilarious and certainly makes you reconsider the character's motivations throughout the book. We really enjoyed reading this book together and we are looking forward to reading more books by this author.
October 14, 2019
4.5
Really nice format, like an old silent movie. I like books that are different! And what about that ending... Kids are gonna want to read it again! Very funny!
Really nice format, like an old silent movie. I like books that are different! And what about that ending... Kids are gonna want to read it again! Very funny!
June 28, 2013
Another winner from Willems! An easy and funny story with a small twist at the end that had my children delighted, it's a book that we'll probably be reading again. Already the names Mo Willems and David Shannon are becoming popular in our house. My 5 yr old and 2 yr old twins are asking constantly to reserve all the boooks by these authors from the library and I can't get them fast enough. I have 97 books out right now (one of those is actually a box of farming children's books but considered 1 item), and the woman at the library actually pondered whether or not there was a limit on the number of books I could take out. (This as she was rolling out the cart of my reserved books, another first!) In any case, this does not have enough words to make it even to a level 1 reading book, however, still worth the read. Highly recommended.
May 7, 2013
Super clever and a wonderful silent movie/theater style, just not as great for repeat readings.
August 1, 2019
What makes great ideas good? Or the bad ideas so awful that you just have to walk away? Two great conversations that can be answered by Mo Willems storytelling, told this time in what feels like a silent movie fashion.
September 15, 2013
Mo Willems is truly a pro when it comes to writing children’s books! His previous books , and were true masterpieces in their own right and now I have the pleasure of reading his most recent children’s book “That is NOT a Good Idea!�
One day, a hungry fox meets up with a female goose and he invites the goose to dinner! At the same time, there is a group of baby chicks who are warning the goose about not accepting the fox’s dinner invitation during the page breaks by saying:
“That is NOT a Good Idea!�
Now, judging by the extremely short description I just gave out, this book would seem like it is going to be too simple to read through. NO, IT IS NOT! Mo Willems has once again managed to create one hilarious and creative picture book that also gives the readers one heck of a surprise ending! I loved the way that Mo Willems set this book up like a silent movie as there are no dialogue texts on the pictures, but there are dialogue texts on the black pages of the book which also has gorgeous white boxed borders surrounding the pages, giving it an exotic feel. I also loved the baby chicks that show up in between the story as they try to warn the goose about not taking up the fox’s offer for dinner by saying:
“That is NOT a Good Idea!�
I think it is a clever way to get children engaged in the story as they can repeat the saying “That is NOT a Good Idea!� whenever the goose is doing something wrong in the story or whenever the baby chicks come into the story. Mo Willems� artwork is as usual hilarious and creative to look at as the setting seems to take place in an old Victorian - like town that is mostly shown in brown colorings. I also loved the way that the goose has white feathers and small yellow eyes that make her look innocent and I personally think that the blue scarf on her head added a nice motherly touch to her character. The little chicks were also cute as they have rounded yellow bodies and small black dotted eyes. I really loved the appearance of the fox himself as he is dressed up in elegant clothes and yet he always has a sneaky look on his face which makes you know that he is not to be trusted.
Parents should know that the ending of this book might be a bit too jarring for some small children. Now, I will not tell you what really happened at the end of the book (although it is extremely surprising), but let us just say that the ending is sort of reminiscent of “The Spider and the Fly,� in a sense. For those of you who have read “The Spider and Fly,� you might know exactly what to expect from the ending of this book.
Overall, “That is NOT a Good Idea� is a truly brilliant book from the mastermind of Mo Willems and I am sure that many children who are huge fans of Mo Willems� work will enjoy this book also! As for a little recommendation, if you want to read a book that also discusses about the dangers of meeting a potential dangerous stranger, then check out “The Spider and Fly.� “That is NOT a Good Idea� and are vaguely similar in tone and style (although “That is NOT a Good Idea� is much more hilarious and light-hearted)!
Review is also on:
June 14, 2013
One day a fox and a goose see each other across the street. [Yup, the goose and the fox are in a street...and they have clothes and other things that personify them. And the fox is dressed in a dapper suit that makes he seem like the sort that gets his way, a lot. And the goose only has a kerchief tied on her head and a basket. Totally giving off the "peasant" look.] So they see each other and the pages cut to black with some words…reminiscent of an old silent film’s black screen with the text printed in white. [It totally makes me think that the organ music will start any second.] The fox proceeds to invite the goose to go on a stroll, then to his house, then to have dinner. The goose agrees to each of these suggestions. After each suggestion a progressively larger number of chicks tell everyone [us as well as the fox/goose duo] that “That is NOT a good idea!� But the two are headless of what the chicks say and the melodrama continues. [I only wish the fox could have twirled a mustache like any of the famous villains in melodramas...like Babe's in Toyland's Barnaby. The fox totally needed a mustache, and some train tracks. And the "dun, dun, dun, dun, DUN" music in the background.]
And then there is the ending. It made me laugh. It made my nieces and nephews laugh. In fact, their first reaction was to immediately read the book again because they HAD to read it again once they knew the ending. Because some things are that good…and this one is. Seriously, you all need to read this book. Sooner rather than later. You will be glad you did!
And then there is the ending. It made me laugh. It made my nieces and nephews laugh. In fact, their first reaction was to immediately read the book again because they HAD to read it again once they knew the ending. Because some things are that good…and this one is. Seriously, you all need to read this book. Sooner rather than later. You will be glad you did!
October 13, 2014
This was the book being given as an ARC at ALA in Las Vegas this summer where I MET MO WILLEMS!!!
He was the only/author illustrator that I almost hyperventilated :/ by the time I got to the front of the line it was all I had in me to eek out, "I don't know who's a bigger fan, my daughter or I." and he asked how old she was I told him 9, and he said, "well, keep on reading and see who comes out on top."
He just gets art, and kids, and human emotion, and all the things that make picture books perfection. Love him.
This was super fun, by the way :)
He was the only/author illustrator that I almost hyperventilated :/ by the time I got to the front of the line it was all I had in me to eek out, "I don't know who's a bigger fan, my daughter or I." and he asked how old she was I told him 9, and he said, "well, keep on reading and see who comes out on top."
He just gets art, and kids, and human emotion, and all the things that make picture books perfection. Love him.
This was super fun, by the way :)
June 25, 2013
If it's wrong to be a 25 year old, unmarried, childless adult, and to have a favorite children's author, than I don't want to be right. This is an excellent "read aloud" book. I personally like to read it with an 20's radio announcer's voice, while singing dramatic piano music before turning the page (a la silent films).
May 13, 2024
Plot twist
December 31, 2017
I loved the art style of this one: the book is illustrated as if it were a silent movie. I encouraged the kids to help me by saying "that is really, really, really, really not a good idea!" We counted the reallys. Even the adults chimed in. Two of the parents were really surprised by the ending, and one of them was very amused by it. Fun story that works on multiple levels.
July 24, 2023
Hilarious book! Mo Willems is one of our favorites!!
September 6, 2019
Cute and funny kids book! As an adult, I knew what was going to happen, but I think the kids would love it. This book was easy to read and had good illustrations.
August 13, 2015
A little dark, a little twisted, and a LOT hilarious.
A dapper fox meets a naive-seeming goose in the city and asks her to accompany him on a walk. He charms her further away from safety, with the clear intent of turning her into his next meal. Meanwhile, a chorus of chicks are used intermittently to break what one assumes is the 4th wall, building a sense of tension and urgency as the goose goes along with the Fox's carefully laid plan.
My 5 and 6-year-old loved reading this. It's not heavy on the wordiness, using visual comic book-like cues to aid in making clear what's going on. The font is large, though the word choice is sometimes a bit difficult for Kindergarten level. But one of the delightful things about this book is how well it motivates children to learn those more difficult words as they read and re-read it.
The illustrations are effective--if not overly artful--and convey the nuance that becomes so essential at the climactic twist. (Yes, a children's book with a twist!)
February 4, 2014
A wonderful twist on every fox-and-the-duck story you ever read...with a Greek Chorus...actual a Duckling Chorus.
The fox, an oily, sly fellow, lures the duck for a walk, and then for a visit to his home, then to lunch...a lunch of soup...All the while, the Chorus is chanting, "This is NOT a good idea...This is really not a good idea...this is really really not a good idea..."
And then the wonderful twist at the end!!
Willems is a new favorite...his work is funny and sassy...just what kids (and very old kids) LOVE!
What fun this one was.
The fox, an oily, sly fellow, lures the duck for a walk, and then for a visit to his home, then to lunch...a lunch of soup...All the while, the Chorus is chanting, "This is NOT a good idea...This is really not a good idea...this is really really not a good idea..."
And then the wonderful twist at the end!!
Willems is a new favorite...his work is funny and sassy...just what kids (and very old kids) LOVE!
What fun this one was.
October 13, 2014
I think this book is awesome and my kids love it! Not only are the pictures amazing, but the story is fun. In this day and age, it's shocking to kids to see a book end the way this one does (and we can't sing the "squishing up my baby bumble bee" version of the song anymore, either). But it teaches a good lesson as well as a truth. Once again, doing voices is what makes this book so fun. I have kids who, hours later, will still be walking around saying to themselves in an extremely high pitched voice, "That is really not a good idea!" Love it!
December 13, 2013
Very humorous little cautionary tale. Love Mo Willems! Love the expressive illustrations--his characters have such personality. The silent movie format for the dialogue was fun.
Knowing Willems' style I figured there would be a "twist" and I guessed most of the ending. I admit the very end made me cringe just a little but it is no worse than many folk takes / fairy tales children devour.
Knowing Willems' style I figured there would be a "twist" and I guessed most of the ending. I admit the very end made me cringe just a little but it is no worse than many folk takes / fairy tales children devour.
June 22, 2013
I love Mo Willems. Not only does a deliver, his books arrive with a great story, humor, and a good lesson as well. I don't want to give the ending away, but a parent should read it alone and decide if it's appropriate for their youngster. There is lots of room for discussion afterwards. Mo Willems you are a treasure!
October 5, 2013
Seriously, what can't Mo Willems do? This book is hilarious and morbid, and PERFECT for preschool story time because of the opportunity for participation (I had 78 preschoolers and their parents all yelling, "THAT IS REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY NOT A GOOD IDEA!" by the end). I thought it first it might be a bit too morbid, but apparently Olympia preschoolers eat morbid for breakfast.
December 12, 2017
I did not like this book because I do not like foxes. I enjoyed this book because I like ducks (I think I probably listened to the baby geese).
Review Update: I also enjoyed this book because I liked the part when the duck pushed the fox into the soup (I knew that the fox was thinking about putting the duck inside instead).
Review Update: I also enjoyed this book because I liked the part when the duck pushed the fox into the soup (I knew that the fox was thinking about putting the duck inside instead).
May 27, 2013
Another great one from Mo Willems. The story is really hilarious; it's presented as an old timey film. Mo Willems has such a great sense of humor. His humor transcends both young and mature audiences alike. Absolutely loved the ending.
June 27, 2023
Read for Storytime, April 18, 2017
Theme: Funny Stories
The kids like saying along with the chicks, "That's not a good idea!". The adults liked the twist. Another fun read from Mo Willems.
Read at Pringle Park book giveaway.
Theme: Funny Stories
The kids like saying along with the chicks, "That's not a good idea!". The adults liked the twist. Another fun read from Mo Willems.
Read at Pringle Park book giveaway.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,009 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.