Gaston (Gaston And Friends)

Read Free Books and Download eBooks

A bulldog and a poodle learn that family is about love, not appearances in this adorable doggy tale from New York Times bestselling author Kelly DiPucchio and illustrator Christian Robinson.This is the story of four puppies: Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, Ooh-La-La, and Gaston. Gaston works the hardest at his lessons on how to be a proper pooch. He sips—never slobbers! He yips—never yaps! And he walks with grace—never races! Gaston fits right in with his poodle sisters. But a chance encounter with a bulldog family in the park—Rocky, Ricky, Bruno, and Antoinette—reveals there’s been a mix-up, and so Gaston and Antoinette switch places. The new families look right…but they don’t feel right. Can these puppies follow their noses—and their hearts—to find where they belong?

Lexile Measure: AD500L (What's this?)

Series: Gaston and Friends

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (June 3, 2014)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1442451025

ISBN-13: 978-1442451025

Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.3 x 11.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (133 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #8,674 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #79 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Dogs #497 in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life #638 in Books > Children's Books > Humor

Age Range: 4 - 8 years

Grade Level: Preschool - 3

Teaches a wonderful lesson about what being a family really means. I am in love with the illustrations which make it enjoyable even for readers too young to follow the plot (like my nephew, who despite being far too young to read Gaston himself, stares at the puppies happily for multiple minutes).Another reviewer mentioned that it was odd how neither misplaced puppy fit in with their adopted siblings yet didn't feel at home with their "real" family- I don't think this is inconsistent at all. I think it's very realistic not to realize how like your own family you are until you experience people very unlike yourself (usually away from home). Little differences feel bigger when you have so little context. Anyway- amazing book!

Putting a happy spin on switched baby scandals, this new title from Atheneum Books is an engaging mix of story and art. Kelly DiPucchio hits all the right notes with her text and Christian Robinson's broad-stroke acrylics are winsome.A bulldog and a poodle find themselves in opposite litters. In one family, we see teapot-sized Gaston and his teacup-sized sisters. In the other, we see a poodle who does not like anything proper or precious or pink. The narrator invites reader-accomplices with a winking refrain of 'Would you like to see them again?' Despite their atypical breed behavior, the mismatched pups are clearly loved, the family portraits a lovely touch.Gaston is a modern fish-out-of-water tale which ironically advocates nurture over nature--in contrast to the classic Fish Is Fish--but which ultimately demonstrates that feeling right is more important than looking right. In the end, the final message is the one that counts: "They taught them to be whatever they wanted to be." The story's denouement, a truly mixed litter, came as a fun surprise. Boodles (bulldog poodles) may become the next "IT" puppy.Conclusion: A timeless message of love, paired with charming art. This is one of the best picture books of the year. Only, where did the daddy doggies go?[The reviewer was provided with a complimentary copy of the book.]

Although the illustrations are great, something about this book ultimately misses the mark. The "nature vs nurture" theme is an interesting twist on the ugly duckling story, but it feels very forced. The book leads you to believe that Gaston, the bulldog, doesn't fit in with his poodle siblings, yet when he is switched into a bulldog family, only then do you find out that actually, Gaston had learned to behave like a poodle and now feels uncomfortable around bulldogs (even though only a few pages earlier he had been acting like a bulldog). To add to the flaws, the writing itself is a bit labored and awkward, which makes it unenjoyable to read aloud to my daughter.

Bought for 2 year old's birthday. It is her favorite book now, "GonGon" she says. She wants it read every night and it's so sweet and funny we don't mind. At first she only made it through a couple of pages but each night she stayed longer. This is her first big non-board book. She knows the dog names and has half of it memorized now.

When I saw this book at the library, I thought, "Oh, cute illustrations of puppy dogs!" which is usually enough to hold my and my baby's attention when I read aloud to him. I didn't realize that this book would be a parable about the importance of family or diversity, and that all of the poodles' names would be repeated over and over, and I have to agree with the other reviewer who found this pretentious. So because my baby is 7 months old, I just made up whatever story I felt like after a few pages, and it went something like, "look at these cute puppy dogs -- wow, that one really likes to eat -- wow, that one sits in a yellow chair -- how many puppies do you see? let's count! 1, 2, 3, 4 puppies!" and such. I'm sure if I was reading this to a 4 year old, he'd say, "That's not what it says, Mom!" but since my kid is so little, it doesn't matter. So 5 stars for the illustrations, 3 stars for the story, for an average of 4 stars.

I purchased this as a gift for a friend, but she has since emailed me on two different occasions letting me know how much she loves this story. In fact, she says it is her favorite children's book!I bought this specific book for my friend because she has a white French Bulldog that looks just like the dog on the cover of this book. Honestly, I didn't even know the story was about a French Bulldog! My friend, and her daughter, absolutely love this story though, and not just because their dog looks like Gaston. She said it's a sweet story that they have already read multiple times.Based on my friend's response, I would say this book is a must-have for French Bulldog owners... and anyone else. :)

Such a sweet book!! I don't even have small children and am not teaching at the moment but I bought the book because I love the story of a little bulldog who ends up switching families with a little poodle. My grown children love it, too. It's just the kind of story we shared together when they were little :)

I loved this book! Unlike the viewer who found it "pretentious" and took issue with the nature vs. nurture, I felt it was artfully handled. The book explicitly says that Gaston had to work extra hard to yip and act dainty, basically where his nurture goes against his nature. And then, it ends with the dogs realizing that raising their pups that way isn't necessarily the best, so Gaston lets his pups grow into whoever they are by nature.As an adoptive parent, I really appreciated that the dogs switched places and then realized that family isn't just looking alike and acting alike, family is who you love. That is a message we want our children to know loud and clear!

Gaston (Gaston and Friends) Black Titan: A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire Gaston's Flow Blue China: Comprehensive Guide, Identification & Values Gaston's Blue Willow: Identification & Value guide, 3rd Edition Dollys and Friends, Witches Paper Dolls, Wardrobe No: 9 (Dollys and Friends Paper Dolls) (Volume 9) Wonder Woman and Her Super Friends! (DC Super Friends) (Tabbed Board Book) B.F.F. Best Friends Forever: Quizzes for You and Your Friends B.F.F. Best Friends Forever: Have Fun, Laugh, and Share While Getting to Know Your Best Friends! Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers Thomas & Friends The Great Race (Thomas & Friends) (Little Golden Book) Thomas & Friends 5-Minute Stories: The Sleepytime Collection (Thomas & Friends) Thomas & Friends Story Time Collection (Thomas & Friends) Thomas & Friends Little Golden Book Library (Thomas & Friends) Super Friends: Flying High (DC Super Friends) (Step into Reading) DC Super Friends 5-Minute Story Collection (DC Super Friends) DC Super Friends Little Golden Book Favorites (DC Super Friends) Loito and the Lioness - English and Swahili: How the Masai and the lions became friends - English & Swahili version Designs: An Adult Coloring Book: 50 Stress Relief Mandala Designs Inspired by Flowers, Hearts, Animals, and other Patterns found in Nature,Adult ... Gift For Friends and Family,For All Occasions My Family and Friends (Copy and Cut) Fuzzy Bee and Friends (Touch and Feel Cloth Books)