SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: A GIFT FOR GOOSE
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE: 4/1/1963
WEBSITE: http://tadhills.com/
CITY: Brooklyn
STATE: NY
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 302
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/catalog/author.pperl?authorid=69148 http://mag.amazing-kids.org/2010/12/01/amazing-kids-interview-with-tad-hills/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born April 1, 1963, in Needham, MA; married Lee Wade (an art director); children: Elinor, Charlie.
EDUCATION:Skidmore College, degree (art), 1986.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and illustrator of children’s books. Worked variously as an actor, as a designer of marionettes and jewelry, and in interior renovation.
AWARDS:100 Titles for Reading and Sharing selection, New York Public Library, and Best of the Best Books designation, Chicago Public Library, both 2006, Children’s Choice designation, International Reading Association/Children’s Book Council (IRA/CBC), Notable Children’s Book designation, American Library Association, and Cardozo Award for Children’s Literature, all 2007, all for Duck and Goose; IRA/CBC Children’s Choice designation, 2008, for Duck, Duck, Goose; Parents’ Choice Silver Award and Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature, Bank Street College of Education, both 2011, both for How Rocket Learned to Read.
WRITINGS
How Rocket Learned to Read was adapted as a digital book, Random House Digital, 2011.
SIDELIGHTS
Children’s writer and illustrator Tad Hills is best known for his series of picture books featuring Duck and Goose, an engaging pair of feathered friends. In such works as Duck, Duck, Goose and Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin, and Duck and Goose Go to the Beach Hills has made fans of both toddlers and their parents due to his talent for creating appealing characters, vibrant illustrations, and quiet but humorous narratives.
In Duck and Goose Hills introduces two friendly rivals, both which lay claim to a seemingly abandoned egg. Duck and Goose each want to incubate the egg on their own, but while jockeying for position on top of the egg, they begin to work as a team. Only after an observant bluebird points out what readers have known from the beginning—that the “egg” is actually a toy ball—do Duck and Goose decide to team up and play with the toy together.
Hills’s “feathered heroes enact a dialogue familiar to anyone who has negotiated with siblings or playground rivals,” wrote a Publishers Weekly critic in praise of Duck and Goose , and a Kirkus Reviews critic noted that the “gradual shift from adversaries to partners to playmates is indicated artfully by … subtle changes in book design and text.” Hills’s “cartoony illustrations are aimed at child viewers … and extract every drop of humor from the situation,” asserted Horn Book critic Martha V. Parravano, and Jennifer Mattson predicted in Booklist that the “whimsically rendered” protagonists in Duck and Goose “will instantly endear themselves to children.”
In Duck, Duck, Goose the duo’s friendship dynamic changes when a young duck named Thistle befriends Duck. Because Thistle seems to be good at everything he tries, Goose worries that his own friendship with Duck may be threatened, so he pretends to be unimpressed. Fortunately, by story’s end, Duck and Goose have overcome all differences and remain fast friends. Hills’s “charming illustrations portray this tale of friendship perfectly,” maintained a contributor in Kirkus Reviews, and Rachael Vilmar wrote in School Library Journal that the illustrations in Duck, Duck, Goose “make this a book worth lingering over with a good pal.”
The search for the perfect decoration is at the heart of Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin, in which Thistle’s pumpkin makes the two friends long for one of their own, and Duck and Goose, It’s Time for Christmas! centers on Duck’s efforts to keep his pal focused on decorating the holiday tree rather than playing in the snow. Hill serves up “cheery holiday fare for pre-readers,” wrote Mara Alpert in a School Library Journal appraisal of Duck and Goose, It’s Time for Christmas!
In Duck and Goose Go to the Beach Goose questions Duck’s plan to spend the day trekking to the seashore, and here “soft oils transport the impressively simple” pair through hill and vale until they reach their sunny destination, according to a Kirkus Reviews writer. Goose Needs a Hug finds the larger bird in a blue mood and shy about asking for reassurance from his friends. A Kirkus Reviews critic wrote of this work that Hills “expertly conveys emotions through subtle tilts of heads and placement of eyes and eyebrows” and produces a story with “real emotional resonance.” A concept book, Duck and Goose: Colors! finds the deft flappers coaching youngsters through some basic color-identification hoops, and they “look just as wide-eyed and incredulous as in the original picture books,” reported another critic for Kirkus Reviews.
Hills received the prestigious Irma Black Award for How Rocket Learned to Read, a book inspired by his own Wheaten terrier puppy. In the work, a rambunctious canine finds himself the unwilling pupil of a tiny, yellow bird that is determined to teach him the alphabet. After Rocket’s instructor captures his attention by spinning an exciting tale, the pup practices learning his letters and spelling out words on his own, even when his new friend flies away for the winter. “Hills’ gentle, sweet tale is a paean to the joy of reading,” a Kirkus Reviews critic stated in appraising How Rocket Learned to Read , and Marianne Saccardi predicted in School Library Journal that “youngsters will find this addition to Hills’s cast of adorable animal characters simply irresistible.” This first book in the “Rocket” series was reissued in an interactive digital format, prompting a Kirkus Reviews contributor to assert that “it’s an even more heartwarming valentine to reading (and the teaching thereof) than the original printed version.”
Hills continues Rocket’s learning journey with several more tales. In Rocket Writes a Story the yellow bird is back, along with a wise owl that inspires and helps Rocket draft the narrative outline for his first foray into creative written expression. “The plot moves along at a measured pace that stresses the step-by-step process of Rocket’s endeavors,” remarked a writer for Kirkus Reviews, while School Library Journal contributor Susan Weitz forecast that “children will love deciphering the illustrated words that cover Rocket’s teaching tree.”
Basic vocabulary groups are the focus of Rocket’s Mighty Words, while Drop It, Rocket! adds more concepts to guide young readers into their first language-mastery successes. Using a phrase familiar to households with dogs, Hills shows Rocket doggedly obsessed with a red boot until a book proffered by the owl finally gives him reason to obey. “Rocket’s fans should enjoy this book geared directly to children who, like their hero, are tackling the hard work of reading,” noted a writer for Kirkus Reviews, and School Library Journal reviewer Melisa Bailey enjoyed the reappearance of Hills’s helpful visual aid, musing that it might become “inspiration for a word tree of one’s own? Rocket would like that.”
Hills’s eager canine learner makes a major leap forward in Rocket’s 100th Day of School. Like his new classmates, the pup is learning numbers and calendar concepts by amassing a trove of items for the celebratory milestone. He errs only in trusting squirrel friend Bella with the items, because five acorns soon go missing. A writer for Kirkus Reviews enjoyed the “hysterical double-page spread that beautifully captures the confession of a compulsion,” adding that “large, simple illustrations help readers decode words” in Rocket’s 100th Day of School. A few of the 100th-day items are factored into Hills’s story in R Is for Rocket: An ABC Book, and in School Library Journal Tanya Boudreau concluded of this work that Hills’s “humor is subtle; the situations playful.”
In addition to his self-illustrated stories, Hills has provided artwork for tales by other authors. His “illustrations are quiet and hieratic,” wrote GraceAnne A. DeCandido in a Booklist review of Jeannine Atkins’s A Name on the Quilt: A Story of Remembrance, and a Publishers Weekly critic wrote of the same work that “Hills contributes a very homespun touch” with his art. Waking up Wendell, a tale by April Stevens, depicts the early-morning activities in a raucous neighborhood. Here Hills’s “witty watercolors depict action and facial expressions with equal ease, and they target both children’s and adults’ sensibilities,” according to a reviewer in Publishers Weekly. As Donna Cardon observed in School Library Journal, the artist’s illustrations for Stevens’s story “enliven the text and add extra humor.”
Hills’s biggest influences as a children’s book author/illustrator have come from his children. “Spending time with my kids helps me remember what it’s like to be a child,” he remarked in an essay on the Random House website. “I try to capture that innocence and enthusiastic vision of the world in my books. I want kids to see themselves in my characters.”
(open new)In Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!, the two friends decide what they will be for Halloween. While Duck plans to go as a ghost, Goose says that he just wants to be himself. Goose is afraid of Duck’s ghost costume, but both get scared when they come across a swamp monster. Goose finds his courage by dressing in a superhero costume only to find out that it is their friend, Thistle, who is dressed as the swamp monster. A Kirkus Reviews contributor pointed out that “while costumed, the characters are never scary, and readers will easily be able to identify each one.” The same reviewer found it to be “gentle Halloween fun from two beloved friends.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly reasoned that “Hills’s understated writing and serene paint-and-pencil artwork treat these friends’ emotions with respect.”
With Rocket the Brave!, a pink butterfly lands on Rocket’s nose. This prompts him to follow it across the pages of the book. When it flies into the forest, Rocket gets scared since it is a dark place. Luckily, his curiosity to find the butterfly helps him to overcome his fear of the forest, and he discovers many other interesting things once inside. A Kirkus Reviews contributor claimed that “the result is an exemplary early reader in words and images, with a happy ending, to boot. Rock on, Rocket.” Writing in School Library Journal, Mary Kuehner mentioned that “readers who have enjoyed Rocket’s adventures … will be happy to find this story.”
Hills published A Gift for Goose in 2019. Duck wraps a gift for Goose in a colorful box. Goose thinks that the box itself is the present and gathers his special belongings to put inside the box. Goose soon learns that it is what’s inside the box that is the actual present. A Kirkus Reviews contributor suggested that “fans of Duck and Goose can happily take the pair with them as they move toward independent reading.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, January 1, 1999, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of A Name on the Quilt: A Story of Remembrance, p. 885; September 15, 2001, Roger Leslie, review of Tom Cringle: The Pirate and the Patriot, p. 222; January 1, 2006 Jennifer Mattson, review of Duck and Goose, p. 114; March 1, 2007, Ilene Cooper, review of Duck, Duck, Goose, p. 88; April 1, 2008, Jennifer Mattson, review of What’s up Duck? A Book of Opposites, p. 53; September 15, 2009, Ilene Cooper, review of Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin, p. 64; May 15, 2010, Abby Nolan, review of How Rocket Learned to Read, p. 43.
Horn Book, January 1, 2006, Martha V. Parravano, review of Duck and Goose, p. 69.
Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2005, review of Duck and Goose, p. 1322; November 15, 2006, review of Duck, Duck, Goose, p. 1174; August 1, 2007, review of Waking up Wendell; June 15, 2010, review of How Rocket Learned to Read; June 15, 2011, review of How Rocket Learned to Read; May 15, 2012, review of Rocket Writes a Story; December 15, 2012, reviews of Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin and Goose Needs a Hug; January 1, 2014, review of Rocket’s Mighty Words; March 1, 2014, review of Duck and Goose Go to the Beach; May 15, 2014, review of Drop It, Rocket!; October 15, 2014, review of Rocket’s 100th Day of School; May 1, 2015, review of R Is for Rocket: An ABC Book; July 1, 2015, review of Duck and Goose: Colors!; August 1, 2017, review of Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!; May 15, 2018, review of Rocket the Brave!; October 1, 2018, review of A Gift for Goose.
Publishers Weekly, January 11, 1999, review of A Name on the Quilt, p. 72; December 12, 2005, review of Duck and Goose, p. 64; November 27, 2006, review of Duck, Duck, Goose, p. 49; September 3, 2007, review of Waking up Wendell, p. 58; February 18, 2008, Diane Roback, profile of Hills, p. 1; June 26, 2017, review of Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!, p. 177.
School Library Journal, August 1, 2000, Hennie Vaandrager, review of Knock, Knock! Who’s There? My First Book of Knock-Knock Jokes, p. 156; November 1, 2000, William McLoughlin, review of Tom Cringle: Battle on the High Seas, p. 154; October 1, 2001, Patricia B. McGee, review of Tom Cringle: The Pirate and the Patriot, p. 160; October 1, 2003, Susan Patron, review of The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Carol-and-Count Flap Book, p. 64; January 1, 2006, Lisa S. Schindler, review of Duck and Goose, p. 103; January 1, 2007, Rachael Vilmar, review of Duck, Duck, Goose, p. 97; September 1, 2007, Donna Cardon, review of Waking up Wendell, p. 176; March 1, 2009, Marge Loch-Wouters, review of Duck and Goose, How Are You Feeling?, p. 116; August 1, 2009, Mary Jean Smith, review of Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin, p. 77; July 1, 2010, Marianne Saccardi, review of How Rocket Learned to Read, p. 61; October 1, 2010, Mara Alpert, review of Duck and Goose, It’s Time for Christmas!, p. 72; July 1, 2012, Susan Weitz, review of Rocket Writes a Story, p. 58; October 1, 2013, Barbara Auerbach, review of Rocket’s Mighty Words, p. 85; April 1, 2014, Blair Christolon, review of Duck and Goose Go to the Beach, p. 122; May 1, 2014, Melisa Bailey, review of Drop It, Rocket!, p. 84; November 1, 2014, Gloria Koster, review of Rocket’s 100th Day of School, p. 85; June 1, 2015, Tanya Boudreau, review of R Is for Rocket, p. 84; July 1, 2015, review of Duck and Goose: Colors!, p. 55; July 1, 2018, Mary Kuehner, review of Rocket the Brave!, p. 58.
ONLINE
BookPage online, http://bookpage.com/ (September 8, 2010), “Meet Tad Hills.”
Brooklyn Book Festival website, https://www.brooklynbookfestival.org/ (January 1, 2019), author profile.
Children’s Book Review website, http://www.thechildren’sbookreview.com/ (September 8, 2010), Bianca Schulze, “Bestselling Author Tad Hills Encourages You to Read to Your Kids.”
Patricia Newman website, http://www.patriciamnewman.com/ (May 1, 2007), “Who Wrote That? Featuring Tad Hills.”
Random House website, http://www.randomhouse.com/ (December 15, 2011), “Tad Hills.”
School Library Journal online, http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/ (May 19, 2011), Rocco Staino, “Tad Hills on Winning the 2011 Irma Black Award.”
Tad Hills website, http://www.tadhills.com (January 1, 2019).
Tad Hills is the author and illustrator of many books including the New York Times Bestselling Duck and Goose, Duck, Duck, Goose and How Rocket Learned to Read. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, two kids and dog Rocket who has not learned to read...yet.
Tad Hills
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Tad Hills
reading at the 2014 Gaithersburg Book Festival
Born
April 1, 1963 (age 55)
Needham, Massachusetts
Nationality
American
Genre
Children's fiction
Website
tadhills.com
Tad Hills (born April 1, 1963 in Needham, Massachusetts) is an American children’s book author and illustrator. His first picture book, Duck & Goose, a New York Times bestseller and ALA Notable Book for Children, is about a pair of feathered friends.[1] In a starred review, Kirkus Reviews wrote that “readers will likely hope to see more of this adorable odd couple”[2]—a hope that was realized. The Duck & Goose series now contains nine titles, including Duck, Duck, Goose; Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin; and Duck & Goose, It’s Time for Christmas.[3] Hills is also the author of How Rocket Learned to Read, winner of the Irma Simonton Black & James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature[4] and a New York Times bestseller.[5] A sequel, Rocket Writes a Story, was published to similar acclaim, debuting at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List and named as a top picture book of the year by Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal.[6]
Contents
1
Early life and career
2
Selected bibliography
3
References
4
External links
Early life and career[edit]
Hills was raised in Norwell, Massachusetts in a creative household. His grandmother was an accomplished artist—together, she and Hills created paintings, drawings, and books. His mother, a 4th-grade science teacher, inspired his love of nature by frequently bringing home animals (including raccoons, owls, and other wild creatures). “I come from a long line of engineers on both sides, so my interest in making things almost feels like it could be genetic,” Hills has said.
Hills graduated with a degree in Art from Skidmore College in New York. He states, however, that his greatest educational experience has been raising his children: “Spending time with my kids helps me remember what it’s like to be a child. I try to capture that innocence and enthusiastic vision of the world in my books. I want kids to see themselves in my characters”.[7]
Hills has dabbled in many arts, including acting, jewelry-making, and interior designing.[8] He began illustrating picture books in the late 90s when his wife, Lee Wade, was the VP and creative director for Simon & Schuster’s children’s book division: “Lee used to ask me to try illustrating some books she couldn’t find an illustrator for,” he said. Hills published the first book in his breakout Duck & Goose series in 2006, when Wade and friend Anne Schwartz began Schwartz & Wade Books (a Random House imprint).[9]
Hills lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.[10]
Selected bibliography[edit]
Author & Illustrator:
Duck & Goose, Goose Needs a Hug (2012)
Rocket Writes a Story (2012)
Duck & Goose, Here Comes the Easter Bunny! (2012)
Duck & Goose, It’s Time for Christmas (2010)
Duck & Goose, How Are You Feeling? (2009)
Duck & Goose, Find a Pumpkin (2009)
Duck & Goose, 1, 2, 3 (2008)
What’s Up, Duck? (2008)
Duck, Duck, Goose (2007)
Duck & Goose (2006)
My Fuzzy Safari Babies: A Book to Touch & Feel (2001)
My Fuzzy Farm Babies: A Book to Touch & Feel (2001)
Knock Knock Who’s There?: My First Book of Knock Knock Jokes (2000)
My Fuzzy Friends (1999)
Illustrator:
Waking Up, Wendell by April Stevens (2007)
Hey Diddle Riddle by Wendi Silvano (2004)
Tom Cringle: The Pirate and the Patriot by Gerald Hausman (2001)
Tom Cringle: Battle on the High Seas by Gerald Hausman (2000)
A Name on the Quilt by Jeannine Atkins (1999)
Tad Hills is the #1 New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of the Rocket and Duck & Goose series, including the New York Times bestselling picture books How Rocket Learned to Read; Rocket Writes a Story; R Is for Rocket; Duck & Goose; Duck, Duck, Goose; Duck & Goose Go to the Beach; and Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo! He also created various board books in these series, including Rocket’s Mighty Words; Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin; the ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book What’s Up, Duck?: A Book of Opposites; Duck & Goose: Here Comes the Easter Bunny!; and several Step Into Reading titles, including Drop It, Rocket! and Rocket’s 100th Day of School.
The Boston Globe declared Hills’s work “charming, funny, simple, and surprising” and dubbed him “a master of the light comic touch.”
Tad lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, two children, and his real-life dog, Rocket, who has not yet learned to read.
Visit Tad online at tadhills.com, and follow him on Twitter at @tadhills.
Tad Hills is the author and illustrator of the highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling picture books Duck & Goose, Duck, Duck, Goose, Duck & Goose Go to the Beach, How Rocket Learned to Read, and Rocket Writes a Story. His latest book is Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!. His board books include the ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book What’s Up, Duck?; Duck & Goose Colors; and Duck & Goose, Let’s Dance! Tad lives in Brooklyn with his wife, their two children, and a dog named Rocket.
Author Website
http://tadhills.com/
Tad Hills grew up in Norwell, Massachusetts, with a love of wildlife and nature. Surrounding his childhood home were many acres of fields and forests where he and his brother and sister would explore, build forts out of sticks and hay, and pick blueberries and grapes. His mother taught 4th-grade science for the Audubon society and often brought home animals. Raccoons, snakes, owls, and turtles were common guests in their house. His love of nature and wildlife is reflected by his favorite books from his childhood: Robert McCloskey’s Blueberries for Sal, The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward, and chapter books by Thornton Burgess.
All of the grown-ups in his life encouraged Tad’s creativity. He spent a lot of time with his grandmother, who was also an artist. They made books, drew and painted pictures, visited galleries and museums, and sat in her garden. She encouraged Tad to look at the world from different angles. She was delighted when, instead of seeing a pansy, he saw a monkey’s face, or instead of a puddle of spilled milk, he saw an elephant. She marveled at his art and, although she was an accomplished painter, wished that she could paint like him–a notion he understands well today. “Every day I wish that I could make art with the simplicity and fearlessness that my kids do.
“My mother always encouraged my artistic endeavors. We had a playroom that was always buzzing with activity. It was never tidy for long–a reality my mother accepted after weighing the relative benefits. This is where I’d spend much of my time drawing, painting, and building and making things. I come from a long line of engineers on both sides, so my interest in making things almost feels like it could be genetic.”
As an adult Tad still makes many of the same things he made as a kid. Alongside his kids–Elinor, age 10, and Charlie, age 8–he’s made marionettes, jewelry, a tree house and Halloween costumes. “There is nothing more exciting to me than building something from nothing without a blueprint or directions. And using unlikely–and better yet recycled–materials makes it even more exciting. I really couldn’t tell you how a car engine worked but I could make a nice one out of cardboard and toothpicks.”
Tad’s interest in art drew him to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, where he studied painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, creative writing, and poetry, but his greatest education came with the arrival of his children. “Spending time with my kids helps me remember what it’s like to be a child. I try to capture that innocence and enthusiastic vision of the world in my books. I want kids to see themselves in my characters.
“I find the process of creating a book similar to making sculpture. It is a constant adding and taking-away. The words and pictures are like pieces of clay. Some ideas come from experience and observation and some seem to come from thin air. Sometimes an idea builds out of an overheard conversation, or sometimes an idea comes to me when I’m cooking dinner. The real trick is to take all those ideas, like chunks of soft clay, and build something. Throughout the process the sculpture may hold itself upright, or more likely it might sag in places, or even collapse completely. The tough part is getting all that clay to stand up and not sag or collapse. Standing, of course, isn’t all there is: you have to make sure that it is fun and interesting from all angles, because kids will be walking around it, squinting at it, sniffing it, touching it–inspecting it from all sides.
“As an author and illustrator of children’s books, my greatest satisfaction comes from visiting schools. The kids’ excitement and enthusiasm for books is very real. I especially enjoy the responses I get from children when I ask if they have any questions or comments. ‘Where do you get your ideas? What’s the difference between a book and a story? My birthday is June 12th. How do you make the cover shiny? My Dad has socks like yours. Do you have an agent? Do you write the story first or draw the pictures? How do you make a book?’ But what I love most is when a lower school kid smiles and says proudly, ‘I’m writing a book.’”
Hills, Tad: A GIFT FOR GOOSE
Kirkus Reviews. (Oct. 1, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Hills, Tad A GIFT FOR GOOSE Schwartz & Wade/Random (Children's Fiction) $12.99 1, 8 ISBN: 978-0-525-64489-7
Picture- and board-book duo Duck and Goose get the early-reader treatment.
Duck has a gift for his pal Goose--and it's not even Goose's birthday! The friendliest fowl around, Duck puts this gift (a mystery to readers) in a white box, paints the box in colorful stripes, and ties a ribbon around it. To top it off, he even includes a handmade card. Goose arrives on the scene and starts honking questions about the present. As soon as Goose realizes the box is for him--and is a convenient receptacle for all his "special things"--he rushes off to gather his many treasures. When Goose returns, Duck tells his hasty friend the box is not the actual gift and invites him to open it, which Goose does to discover...another box! Using a vocabulary of around 60 unique words (usually 8 or fewer per page) Hills successfully shepherds the duo into their newest format. Rather than using italics, the design underlines a few words for emphasis. The spare mixed-media illustrations directly correlate to the text, featuring one or both birds in a patch of grass set against an ample solid white background. In addition to aiding decoding, the book's predictable pattern contributes to its well-paced comedic moments. On one spread, for instance, Goose unexpectedly breaks the fourth wall in a moment of heightened emotion.
Fans of Duck and Goose can happily take the pair with them as they move toward independent reading. (Early reader. 4-7)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Hills, Tad: A GIFT FOR GOOSE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A556119010/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=acdad198. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A556119010
Hills, Tad: ROCKET THE BRAVE!
Kirkus Reviews. (May 15, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Hills, Tad ROCKET THE BRAVE! Random House (Children's Fiction) $4.99 7, 31 ISBN: 978-1-5247-7347-2
Into the woods....
Hills' canine picture-book protagonist, Rocket, learned how to read in his first book and now stars in an early reader designed for kids learning to read, too. The story opens when Rocket is charmed by a pink butterfly that lands on his nose, and he follows it from spread to spread until it "flies into the forest." In contrast with prior spreads that featured ample white, open space, the ensuing illustrations of the forest are dark and saturated. A full-bleed double-page spread shows Rocket small and low at the bottom of the verso with the forest before him: "The forest is very dark. The trees are very tall. Rocket does not want to go into the forest." After some hemming and hawing, Rocket's desire to find the butterfly overpowers his fear of the forest, and he walks among the tall trees, looking at pine cones, ferns, and, finally, the butterfly. Necessary redundancy between art and text befits the early-reader form and allows children to find cues in the art to support decoding of the controlled text, but Hills' deep experience as a picture-book artist enriches his attention to framing, pacing, and layout. The result is an exemplary early reader in words and images, with a happy ending, to boot.
Rock on, Rocket! (Early reader. 5-7)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Hills, Tad: ROCKET THE BRAVE!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A538293947/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e54d0474. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A538293947
Hills, Tad: HONK! QUACK! BOO!
Kirkus Reviews. (Aug. 1, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Hills, Tad HONK! QUACK! BOO! Schwartz & Wade/Random (Children's Fiction) $16.99 8, 22 ISBN: 978-1-5247-0175-8
The understated, concrete-thinking best friends enjoy Halloween. Goose is a joy. When asked on Oct. 30 what he will be tomorrow, he replies, "Well, I think I will be myself, Duck. It's important to always be yourself." Duck is going to be a ghost, and Thistle, who pops up to share her excitement with the duo, won't tell what she will be--it's a secret. But they should "beware the swamp monster!" Even knowing Duck will dress as a ghost, Goose is still scared of his friend until the latter points out his signature feet. But both are still worried about that swamp monster (readers are in on it, as an earlier illustration shows Thistle getting ready down at the water, some green slime under her wing). Trick-or-treating amid the forest residents is fun until an owl-cum-daisy tells them a swamp monster's been looking for them, and here it comes! The two, hiding in a bush, believe they are goners as they hear the feet getting closer. But then Goose, dressed as a brave superhero, points out that it's two to one, and they leap out to frighten the monster away, downplaying the scariness of Thistle's costume now that they know the truth. Goose and Duck are wonderfully childlike in their innocence and naivete, echoed in Hills' illustrations. While costumed, the characters are never scary, and readers will easily be able to identify each one. Gentle Halloween fun from two beloved friends. (Picture book. 3-6)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Hills, Tad: HONK! QUACK! BOO!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A499572396/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8a530e5e. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A499572396
Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!
Publishers Weekly. 264.26 (June 26, 2017): p177.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!
Tad Hills. Random/Schwartz & Wade, $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-5247-0175-8
As Halloween arrives, Goose's nerves are getting the best of him, especially after Halloween-loving Thistle (first seen in Duck, Duck, Goose) tells Goose and Duck to "beware the swamp monster." Even a superhero costume doesn't help Goose summon much bravery, especially after the swamp monster shows up during trick-or-treating in the forest. Readers won't share Goose's fear--Hills leaves big visual clues about who's under all that green swamp muck--and before the story is over Goose and Duck deliver a small scare of their own. As in the previous books in this series, Hills's understated writing and serene paint-and-pencil artwork treat these friends' emotions with respect. He has a little fun at their expense as they race, wide-eyed, away from the swamp monster, but readers will understand that being frightened is completely natural and that, sometimes, the sources of those fears aren't "that scary after all." Ages 3-7. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!" Publishers Weekly, 26 June 2017, p. 177. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A497444554/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=397226fb. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A497444554
HILLS, Tad. Rocket the Brave!
Mary Kuehner
School Library Journal. 64.7 (July 2018): p58.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Full Text:
HILLS, Tad. Rocket the Brave! illus. by Tad Hills. 32p. (Step Into Reading). Random. Jul. 2018. pap. $4.99. ISBN 9781524773472. POP
PreS-Gr 1--In his latest story, Rocket the dog discovers a butterfly, and he and his new friend chase and play tag until the butterfly heads into a dark forest. Rocket is hesitant to follow, but screws up his courage and makes his way in. He finds that he likes the tall trees, the lush plants, and, of course, his friend butterfly. This is a slight story with the right ingredients for new readers--repetition, short sentences, and plenty of picture clues. While Hills's illustrations initially leave plenty of white space, when Rocket arrives at the forest the dark illustrations take over the page, heightening the "creep" factor and making Rocket's choice to follow the butterfly that much more poignant. VERDICT Readers who have enjoyed Rocket's adventures in his longer picture books and are eager to read on their own will be happy to find this story. A terrific easy reader for most libraries.--Mary Kuehner, Arapahoe Library District, CO
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Kuehner, Mary. "HILLS, Tad. Rocket the Brave!" School Library Journal, July 2018, p. 58. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A545432364/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=61e6f94f. Accessed 18 Nov. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A545432364