No Nap! Gideon by Olivier Dunrea

GIDEON IS A SMALL, RUDDY GOSLING WHO LIKES TO PLAY. ALL DAY.

What little Gideon definitely does NOT like to do is take naps.

Every time his mother calls to remind him that it's really time for his nap, he has only one answer.

NO NAP! I'M PLAYING!

Gideon is a proactive player. He likes to chase things. He chases a piglet in the piggery, butterflies in the meadow, and he pesters the poultry in the henhouse poking around for their eggs.

And then he gets chased by a mole he meets in the meadow.

So Gideon tries other techniques. He stalks a beetle, splashes with the ducklings in the pond, plays leapfrog with a frog, outstares a turtle, and bounces on the back of a perplexed but patient ewe in the sheepery. And every time his mother calls him to nap, he dashes away. If he can just keep moving, maybe he can outrun that nap!

But little goslings need to rest, and Gideon begins to slow down as he wanders out in the field to elude his mom. Finally, he spots an appealingly soft haystack and scrambles up one side to the cushy peak.

This time when his mother calls him, Gideon doesn't answer. He's still busy, but--

This time Gideon is busy taking a nap.

Olivier Dunrea's first book featuring little Gideon without his gosling gang, Gideon (Gossie & Friends) (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012) is just as charming as his previous stories of Gossie, Gertie, Stomper, Peedie, Ollie, and BooBoo. Busy toddlers will see themselves in the go-go gosling Gideon, trailing his little demi-octopus toy with him on every foray, who stays awake by staying on the move, but parents can only hope that they will also recognize the appeal of settling down at last for that nap which will find them at last.

Take a video peek at Gideon and his gosling gang here