Goldie's Nap

by Nicole Rubel

Mischievous Goldie doesn't want to take a nap at her day care center. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060251069
• ISBN13: 9780060251062
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 1 Pages
• Age Range: 4 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

4 1/2 Nature Takes Its Course

Poor Goldie! Mr. Webb, the patient teacher with the wavy feathers and yellow tennis shoes announces that its naptime--but Goldie doesn't want to sleep. All the other toddler animals are down on their naps: The bunny rabbit, the little lamb, and the cute pig with ribbons around her ears, but little bird Goldie would rather sail a boat, drag a train, or swing beneath the big tree. Besides, she announces repeatedly, "Naps are for babies." When she does lie on her nap she immediately kicks the pig, then, in an inspired moment of rebellion, she whistles the class song. "Naps are for babies." Finally, when naptime is long over, the beleaguered Mr. Webb (there's a wonderful picture of him looking like he's about to nod off) gives everyone some milk and cookies, and Goldie finally and naturally drifts off to sleep. Nicole Rubel's entertaining story frames the central issue of freedom versus control. How do you balance the child's individuality with societal demands, especially in competitive settings? Clearly, Mr. Webb favors the looser, child-centered approach. But does that lead to antisocial behavior (e.g., the kicking of the pig), and an egocentric non-adaptability? Return to review: Nicole Rubel's entertaining story is great fun to read aloud (e.g., the repeated "Naps are for babies") and has the rebellious humor captured in her famous "Rotten Ralph" series. It also shows the toddler what to expect in preschool, both the play and the routines of pre-school type settings. Rubel, as usual, illustrates with a certain motif; I pick up a Southwestern flavor here, (although I've been wrong about this in the past; personal communication with author). The illustrations are somewhat too cluttered for its audience; I had trouble picking out Goldie on several of the pages. In addition, the yellow colors seem a bit off; this may be the age of the book I was reading, Rubel's palette, or the production by publishers HarperCollins. Nicole Rubel's other books (the "Rotten Ralph" series, "Cyrano the Bear," "A Cowboy Named Ernestine," for example) show her enormous illustrative talents better than does "Goldie." Rubel is a personal favorite; like other masters of kids' books, she has a great sense of humor and a very personal drawing style. These are books that please both adults and children.