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Good News, Bad News
by
Jeff Mack
Good news, Rabbit and Mouse are going on a picnic. Bad news, it is starting to rain. Good news, Rabbit has an umbrella. Bad news, the stormy winds blow the umbrella (and Mouse!) into a tree.
So begins this clever story about two friends with very different dispositions. Using just four words, Jeff Mack has created a text with remarkable flair that is both funny and touching...more
So begins this clever story about two friends with very different dispositions. Using just four words, Jeff Mack has created a text with remarkable flair that is both funny and touching...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
July 4th 2012
by Chronicle Books
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The good news is that this book is brilliant and funny. The bad news is…ummm…let’s see…nope, can’t think of any bad news! This book only uses four different words, but those four words, combined with the terrific artwork, manage to convey an entertaining story about a picnic gone terribly wrong. Because so much of the story is told through the images, it should be completely accessible to even the youngest children.
The story also carries a subtle message about the merits of optimism and pessimis...more
The story also carries a subtle message about the merits of optimism and pessimis...more
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"Good News, Bad News" by Jeff Mack is an AMAZING pattern book. I thought it was very captivating and grabbed my attention from the very start. Being optimistic is a huge lesson that I think kids could take from this story. Always looking to turn a terrible situation into something somewhat good and positive. I gave this book 5 stars and think it is a great book for the younger students to read. Maybe even at the toddler age when they are first starting out with books. The illustrations are simpl...more
A 2013 Capitol Choices book. This is possibly one of my favorite pictures books published in 2012. Before I even knew it was on the Capitol Choices list, I happened to come across it because it fit my Storytime theme.
I could NOT stop laughing!! This short picture book uses only those four words throughout, but the illustrations brilliantly convey a picnic for rabbit and mouse that has somehow gone seriously awry. I particularly liked using it for Storytime -- the kids thought it was hysterical...more
I could NOT stop laughing!! This short picture book uses only those four words throughout, but the illustrations brilliantly convey a picnic for rabbit and mouse that has somehow gone seriously awry. I particularly liked using it for Storytime -- the kids thought it was hysterical...more
Two friends with very different approaches to life have a picnic. Ever the optimist, Bunny always sees the good in everything while Mouse, representing the pessimist's point of view, sees only the bad in situations. The author only uses four words ("Good news! Bad news!") throughout most of the text, but he uses those four words quite effectively. In the end, Mouse will have to bring good news to Bunny because he's scared him so much. I like the book's message, its clever use of simple words, it...more
Good News, Bad News, is about a rabbit and a mouse who have a picnic lunch together. The rabbit is very optimistic and finds good things that happen, whereas the mouse is very pessimistic and only sees the bad in things. Eventually, the story comes to a head when the mouse angrily shouts at his friend, the rabbit. The good news is that they both stay friends, after mouse learns his lesson. The text is very predictive, so this is great for beginning readers who need a confidence boost. The art is...more
This book is very clever. The author only uses 4 words throughout the book and the pictures explain the rest. This is a good book to use with younger children to have them try to interpret the story by using the pictures instead of hearing the words. It allows the children to create their own story and use their creativity. I think the children would be able to use this book as a starter to creating their own good news, bad news book about something thats happened in their life.
Mack, J. (2012)....more
Mack, J. (2012)....more
This is a wonderful picture book for a primary audience. Its not the text that draws you into this book or two characters but it is the illustration showing you what good news is compared to what bad news is. I really enjoyed this book and i was completely drawn into it by the amazing illustrations. The rabbit, always trying to please the more reluctant mouse and the things they go through to have a sucessful picnic. It a story about making the best of what you have and everyone can identify wit...more
Kindergarten-Grade 3
I just received this book as part of my Scholastic Book Clubs order. The only words used in this story are "good news bad news." This book is great for an interactive read aloud. Even young children can help read this book. I will use this book to encourage students to talk about what they notice in the pictures and how this skill can later help them read the words of a story. This book is also good for teaching children about having positive and negative attitudes and why it...more
I just received this book as part of my Scholastic Book Clubs order. The only words used in this story are "good news bad news." This book is great for an interactive read aloud. Even young children can help read this book. I will use this book to encourage students to talk about what they notice in the pictures and how this skill can later help them read the words of a story. This book is also good for teaching children about having positive and negative attitudes and why it...more
Rabbit is extremely optimistic but his friend Mouse is very pessimistic. The two go back and forth with Rabbit proclaiming that something is "Good news" only to have Mouse find the "Bad news." These are the only words in the book so it will be good for young or new readers since a lot of the book is meant to be about interpretation. It's very quick and very cute, but not too challenging. I wouldn't use it for a storytime because it would go too quickly, but this would be good for bedtime or a mi...more
Light on text is an understatement. This books makes the majority of its point through images with only one move away from "good news, bad news." The story's simple enough for a storytime group, even one where the children don't know the language. It could be read entirely in the new language and children would quickly pick up the text and understand the meaning. This could also be read as a call and response. The story ends up espousing nice themes of friendship and positive thinking. Too cute.
A book with only a few words repeated again and again would work well if you ask the children what in the picture is the good news or the bad news. This might work as a good interactive storytime book. However, I would only recommend this for slightly older audiences who can handle the main characters getting struck by lightning.
Mack's art is strong and cartoonish without being flat; in fact the shadowing is almost cinematic.
Mack's art is strong and cartoonish without being flat; in fact the shadowing is almost cinematic.
Good News, Bad News follows a rabbit and a mouse who go on a picnic together. They encounter problem after problem, such as a storm and a bear, but always find that something good comes out of each hardship. This book is for very young children-it has only four words. The pictures are really what tell the story. The book can show young children that a bad situation can easily be turned into a better one, with the right attitude.
This book is hilarious! Each page just says "good news" then "bad news" as well-meaning rabbit suggests a picnic w/ rat (? maybe mouse)"good news" but then it starts to rain "bad news". I used this in a storytime about friends and had the kids interpret what was good news or bad news in each page. It went great! Fun for one on one or for storytime. Pre-literate kids could easily "read" this on their own after one reading.
NOTE -I got a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
This is one of the best books for kids just starting to look at books. The whole story is told using just FOUR words! The illustrations are bright and cute, the words repeat, making it easy to teach kids how to read. The story teaches that their moods can affect other people. I have read this 6 times already, and I still enjoy it!
This is one of the best books for kids just starting to look at books. The whole story is told using just FOUR words! The illustrations are bright and cute, the words repeat, making it easy to teach kids how to read. The story teaches that their moods can affect other people. I have read this 6 times already, and I still enjoy it!
This is one I love the idea of, but the illustrations really didn't do it for me. The story is pretty well done though, for using only the phrases "good news" and "bad news" throughout the entire thing. And I like how the characters are portrayed--one friend always looking on the bright side and the other always seeing the negative (until the tables turn at the end).
This book only has four words, so it sounds like it might be tricky to use in story time...BUT I think it would work great if you had the kids explain to you WHY everything was "good news" or "bad news". I can just imagine asking them, "WHAT'S THE GOOD NEWS ON THIS PAGE?" Kinda reminds me of Duck! Rabbit! Maybe would be good for a story time with books with very few words?
That's Good That's Bad like. The only words are "good" "bad" "very" and "news" but the energy of Mack's illustrations allows him to use those words beautifully. And it's a nice message--hang in there and the sun will come out again....
With alternating phrases (Good news, bad news) as the only text, the image of rabbit and rat on a picnic shifts continually between problems and improvements, leading to and angry dispute, with the inevitable friendly reconciliation. As with FORTUNATELY/UNFORTUNATELY, this allows for prediction, sequencing, comparison, and lots of verbalization.
Aug 22, 2012
J. Whitley
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to J. by:
Margo Wilcox
Shelves:
children-s
I loved the way the book handled Good News Bad News which is all a part of life. The writing is simplistic and gives a parent a way to talk about how things can be good to one person but seem bad to another. The book can also be a discussion about how to turn something bad into something good. The ending was wonderful and brought tears to my eyes.
A picture book with few words (literally only "good news" and "bad news"), it was nevertheless really funny. I do think it is meant for a child slightly older than my son who can pick up on the visual hints given by the illustrations. This book was part of a Best of 2012 Picture Books list. Recommended for ages 3-7, 4 stars.
The ever pessimistic rat and always optimistic rabbit make for a fun pair. A great one for kids to practice drawing inferences from the illustrations, as the text for most pages is limited to "Good news" and "Bad news". Also great for modeling how we react when things go a miss. Great cartoonish-style illustrations.
4 1/2 stars. We have found a new favorite picture book! This book is short on words (the illustrations do most of the story telling) but huge on charm and fun! The minute I finished reading it, my 3 year old asked me to read it again. I think this might be one I have to buy for our book collection.
Hilarious picture book which makes clever use of only the four words in the title. Perfect for preschoolers to develop pre-literacy skills. They will love to explain what's good news and what's bad news in each of the pictures in the text as rabbit and mouse go on a picnic and have many misadventures.
Nov 24, 2012
Melissa
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
5-playing,
5-talking,
6-dialogic-reading,
6-narrative-skills,
early-reader,
friends,
weather,
point-of-view,
humor
Just when I started to realize that the mouse kept getting the short end of the stick, and wonder how this text would resolve itself, Mouse threw his very understandable & satisfying tantrum, at which Rabbit, exhausted by his relentless efforts to look on the bright side, in turn dissolved in tears. Nicely resolved. The two remind me a little of the pair in My Friend Rabbit.
This book has 4 words. Good news and bad news. The illustrations are great but the bunny crying is really touching and I can feel his despair and sadness! This book is about looking on the bright side. Crap happens and it all matters on how we deal with it. I like this story (told in pictures)!!
The story of the highs and lows in the day of two friends. Text is very simple: good news, bad news. Illustrations carry the story as readers use the pictures as context clues to figure out why the news is either good or bad. GREAT read aloud and a book I hink young audiences will request often!
This is a fun picture book similar to Remy Charlie's "Fortunately", but for a slightly younger audience. I enjoyed it, but was surprised by the level of love my 3 year old has for it. He's obsessed! Tells me how much he loves this book each time I turn the page. A real crowd pleaser!
Life certainly has its ups and downs as an optimistic rabbit and a rat try to have a picnic. It takes only four words and some visual slapstick to tell this story of friendship. Creative kids may enjoy the fact that they can pretty much narrate the story themselves. Pre-S-Gr. 1.
Spare text with expressive pictures. I think this would be great for storytime audience participation. The kiddos and presenter can really "read" the book together, since the words are few, the pattern is predictable, and the illustrations give a lot to talk about. Fun!
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Dec 01, 2012 09:13am