Why is the ending so funny? Maybe we laugh because we think it’s funny to see something bad happen to the fox, whom we all had considered the “bad guy.” We see this villain being deceived, and we feel a sense of superiority because it happened to him, not us. This book also provides a great chance to study the philosophy of humor. Both options are worth exploration, or perhaps you may develop your own theories.

On the other, look at the pictures in That is NOT a Good Idea! Has the illustrator’s presentation of the characters manipulated our perspective? The fox’s sinister hunger, as well as the goose’s motherly bonnet and innocent eyes, imply a very different result. On one hand, we know the basics of the animal kingdom, and that a goose would be the prey of a fox, never the reverse. The surprise may be due to either ingrained or manufactured bias. Why did we fall for it? Why did we assume the fox was the predator, and the goose the prey? Why did we assume that the baby geese’s warnings were directed towards the mother goose? This opens up opportunities for dialogue about our assumptions and expectations. The author knew that readers would be not only surprised but also amused by this turn of events. Who could have assumed the sweet mother goose was the predator all along? The baby geese’s remark of “Well, we did try to warn him,” at the end of the story, just might have you feeling as foolish as the fox. There is no clear indication of who is saying what, and whom the baby geese are talking about/to. The illustrations and dialogue are strategically laid out on the pages in a way that sets the reader to fall straight into the same trap the fox did. This book will leave you chuckling, but also asking yourself, “Why did I think the story was going to end this way?” Mo Willems’ That Is NOT a Good Idea! uses clever illustrations and word choice to set the reader up for a hilarious plot twist. Read aloud video by The Reading Teacher with a focus on prediction in reading Guidelines for Philosophical Discussion Surprise, it’s the fox! The goose traps the fox in the pot and eats the soup for dinner.

The pair cooks up some soup, but it’s missing one ingredient. The unlikely pair makes its way back to the fox’s house, despite the frantic cries of “That is REALLY not a good idea!” from some baby geese who see right through the plan. Questions for Philosophical Discussion » Summary That is NOT a Good Idea! can prompt discussions about the philosophy of humor and irony.Ī fox and a goose meet while walking through town, and the predator knows just what to do.

That is not a good idea by mo willems