Goo and Spot in the Do Not Wiggle Riddle by Elsa Takaoka

Goo and Spot in the Do Not Wiggle Riddle
Do you have young children of preschool, kindergarten even grade 1 age? There are many skills that they will be working on but one very important one is to sit quietly on the carpet and listen attentively to their teacher  The skill of active listening is something that has to be taught and it can be very difficult for some children.  My two oldest boys have both struggled with this in preschool, kindergarten, grade 1 and still working on it in grade 2.  I am an advocate for books, and I especially love books that help teach children important concepts.  Teachers know that an important concept cleverly hidden in a fun, engaging book is a great way to introduce that concept.

Now I want to introduce Goo and Spot in the Do Not Wiggle Riddle by Author Elsa Takaoko and illustrator Catherine Toennisson.  I first saw Elsa Takaoko’s work on Google +  where she was writing poems to doodles her daughter made.  When I saw that her book Goo and Spot in the Do Not Wiggle Riddle was being offered free on Kindle as a promotion I got it.  My children and I are very new to ebooks on the Kindle/ipad and her book was one of the first we viewed.  And it was a great introduction to kindle books. It was at this time I also entered a contest on her facebook page to win a signed copy of the book.  Which I did!  I was so shocked, surprised and overjoyed.  I don’t usually win.

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My signed copy of Goo and Spot in the Do Not Wiggle Riddle

Goo and Spot in the Do Not Wiggle Riddle.

This is a colourful, whimsical, rhyming story riddle that introduces us to the duo Goo and Spot.  Goo is a little boy and Spot his trusted companion.  Goo’s mom wants him and Spot to sit and listen to a bedtime story but in order to hear the clues he and Spot have to sit quietly.  Through the rhyming riddle the concept of active listening is introduced.  What children are to do with their eyes, ears, hands and feet are cleverly disguised in the rhyming text.  All the clues to the riddle are imaginative and fun making this book wonderfully suited for kids 3-7 years old.  And in the end the riddle is all about Goo and all the wonderful things he does in his very busy, wildly creative day.

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Colourful page from Goo and Spot in the Do Not Wiggle Riddle

The illustrations in the book are so bright, vivid and incredibly cute which make it lovely on the Kindle and in print.  The depictions of the children span an array of multicultural backgrounds and includes a girl in a wheelchair making it great for adding diversity in books.

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Children of various backgrounds are represented in the book

This book would be a nice addition to any preschool, kindergarten, or early elementary classroom or your own personal home library.    We look forward to the next Goo and Spot adventure.  The author and illustrator have another one in the works.  Goo and Spot visit a Zoo.  What important lesson do you think might be at the heart of that new book?

If you would like to check Elsa Takaoka out here are her sites:

Google +

Elsa Takaoka Website

Picture Story EBook

Facebook for Goo and Spot

If you are interested in more from the illustrator here is Catherine Toennisson’s site

*Disclosure:  I purchased the kindle version of the book when it was free and I won the print version in a contest by the author.  A review was not a condition of the contest and I have done one because I think it is a great book and my children and I enjoyed it.  I only do reviews of books we enjoy and that I think my readers will enjoy.

Until the next great read!

Cheers,
Bonnie