Gregory Goose is on the Loose!
Guest Post by Hilary Robinson
A new series of board books for young children.
Author Hilary Robinson. Illustrator Mandy Stanley
Publisher: Catch A Star
Gregory Goose is on the Loose is a new, entertaining, ‘hide and seek’ adventure series for young children which aims to absorb and transport them to realms beyond that which they know.
Character Development
Illustrator, Mandy Stanley, and I have for years been considering a character that would simply pack up a suitcase and travel. But it was some time before the idea of a gregarious goose evolved. In the end, I suppose, you could say he took us with him!
Locations
Over nine spreads in each of the series’ four books – Space, Jungle, Mountain and at the Fair – Gregory flies off into the sky and lands in different locations. It’s in these places that he explores all their fascinating facts and dramatic details. The subjects were chosen for their universal fascination and appeal.
Format
Mandy’s vibrant illustrations, painstakingly researched, (who knew there were dolphins in the jungle?) serve as the perfect backdrop for my deliberately paired back text which aims to offer just enough to engage, but not to detract or distract.
What Do ‘Hide and Seek’ Books Offer?
Recently I was asked in what way ‘hide and seek’ books such as Gregory Goose is on the Loose help pre-reading children. Here are a few of our considerations:
Gregory Goose is on the Loose aims to develop
- fine motor skills including pointing and turning pages, as children discover Gregory, who is camouflaged in the illustrations
- the development of concentration as they physically explore the detail in the pictures
- a love of rhythm and rhym
- colour recognition
- listening, memory and vocabulary skills
- a sense of adventure
- a reading routine.
It is such a privilege for Mandy and I to know that we are trying to help children realise that, through the love of reading, and the help of a flying goose, the sky really doesn’t pose a limit to their love of adventure or their love of books.
‘Gregory Goose is on the Loose’ is written by Hilary Robinson, illustrated by Mandy Stanley and published by Catch A Star. Each book in the four part series costs £6.99
The views expressed may not reflect those of the FCBG.
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