Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf

Thank you Netgalley, Shari Tharp and Atlas for the chance to review this book.

This is the 3rd in the Gertrude and Toby Fairy-Tale Adventure Series, a planned series of 4. As in the other books we follow Gertrude the goat and Toby the tortoise on there escapades away from the farm when the farmer is away. In this story they decide to go fishing having had a debate on the best bait to use (as you do) and on their way encounter the boy who cries wolf, three little pigs and naturally the wolf himself.

This follows the familiar pattern of the previous books and in this case familiarity is a good thing. In three relatively short books they have established two really cute and funny characters that will appeal easily to the age range it is aimed at (6-8) and younger. The only problem I have now is finding when the next edition will be out for an impatient 5 year old!

This is the 3rd in the Gertrude and Toby Fairy-Tale Adventure Series. Every Friday, Gertrude the goat and Toby the tortoise head off on an adventure, when farmer Sam goes to market. In this story they decide to go fishing at Trout Lake. They have had a debate on the best bait to use (worms vs beetles) and decide that the one who catches the most fish will get to choose the adventure next Friday. On the way to the lake, they see a boy who cries wolf. When seeing him get dragged off by a wolf, they decide to help rescue him. Of course the three little pigs also make an appearance in this cute story.

Once again, we meet fairytale characters in a different story and setting which is actually fun. It would be more entertaining for children, if they are familiar with the original fairytales so they can compare them. It is great to see Gertrude and Toby again. They will become the favourites of children who read this series. Their mannerisms and speech patterns are part of the humour in the stories. I also enjoy the illustrations in these books, they are large, colourful and fun to look at. I recommend this book to schools and classrooms (primary/junior) as well as to family libraries.

Gertrude, the goat, and Toby, the turtoise, head to the lake to fish in this third installment of the series. While debating the best bait (worms or beetles), they see a boy who continues to cry "Wolf!" Later, they see the boy captured by the wolf and decide to help him. Before it's all over, the three little pigs are involved in the save. The combining of fairy tale characters adds to the fun and excitement for the target age group of six to eight year old children. I had the opportunity to read this to my nephew, and he loved it. The characters of Gertrude and Toby are funny and adventurous, giving children a shining example of friends helping friends while also entertaining them. The illustrations in this series are outstanding and just plain fun! This is a great read for young children!

I loved the third installment as much as the first time. I have changed my mind about the illustrations though. After look over some of the sampled art work in the second and third books I have decided it IS more colorful and cuter than I initially thought. It still fits the story well.

I still love the guest stars that appear in each book. I wondered at first if that might get old and stale but it isn't. Can't wait to see who shows up next!

"Gertrude and Toby are best friends and live at McFarland Farms. Every Friday when Farmer Sam goes shopping in town, Gertrude and Toby sneak off the farm for a fun adventure."

This is the third book in the Gertrude and Toby Fairy-Tale Adventure Series and the first book that I have read. It is NOT necessary to have read the first book to enjoy the third. Each title works as a stand-alone story.

Gertrude is a goat and Toby is a tortoise. They seem to make an unlikely pair, but they work perfectly in the story. In each book the pair go on an adventure and they run into characters from other fairy tales.

At first I was skeptical that this concept would come across as fresh and unique, but it definitely does. I loved the fact that the pair head out to go fishing at Trout Lake and they decide that whoever catches the most fish will be the one to choose what adventure they will embark upon.

As they are walking a boy runs by on a few separate occasions yelling that a wolf is close by (from the fairy tale "The Boy Who Cried Wolf) and later in the story when a wolf actually does appear, readers meet the pigs from the fairy tale "The Three Little Pigs."

The illustrations are simply gorgeous and a treat for the eye.

Parents (or Grandparents) will enjoy reading this story to their children just as much as the children will enjoy listening to the tale of the two best friends. I highly recommend this truly wonderful book and I believe that it will make a terrific Christmas gift. Since this book is due to be released in hardcover ten days before Christmas, the timing is perfect.

I rate this book as 5 out of 5 Stars and I look forward to reading the first two books in the series as well.

I received a free copy of this book from the Publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book, the images are lovely and the layout is great it keeps attention too. The whole concept is good overall and its been put together well. I have read three books starring Gertrude and Toby and all have been very good and thoroughly enjoyable

Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf
Written by: Shari Tharp
Illustrated by: Jim Heath

I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and Atlas Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 3 in the Gertrude and Toby books. I reviewed and loved each of the previous books in this series.

Plot:
Gertrude (the goat) and Toby (the tortoise) go fishing. Along the way, they see and hear a little boy running from a scary wolf - twice. However, they never actually see the wolf either time, After fishing for a bit, they do see the wolf (this is their third encounter with the boy) dragging the boy off to his cave to turn him into boy stew (a sad alternative to pork apparently). Gertrude and Toby rush off to save the boy. After escaping from the wolf, the three end up in the house of the three little pigs. The wolf, after assuming an adorable woodland disguise which fools no one, arrives at the pigs home demanding food, namely boy or pork. Everyone is terrified until Gertrude remembers that they have fish. The wolf is mollified for the day and the three pigs, the boy, and Gertrude/ Toby part friends. The story ends with our heroes lounging on a grassy bank at home on the farm dreaming of their next adventure.

This is a charming story full of adventure and action. The only annoying part was the boy exclaiming in surprise, near the end that, "There really was a wolf! Who knew?" Wait, what? The boy has been pursued and tied up by the wolf and still he seemed surprised? It didn't really make sense. I understand that maybe at the beginning he is the "boy who cried wolf" when there was no wolf. But at the end, he is captured, almost turned into boy stew, and then really pursued by a wolf. It seems to me that the time for surprise has passed. Perhaps that sentence would have more literary impact if he said it earlier in the book? Maybe when he is tied up? Gertrude and Toby could look surprised and the reader is then in on the joke that this is the "boy who cried wolf".

Illustrations:
Since this is an early reviewers copy, the illustrations are not complete. However, I do have beautiful line drawings in my copy. They are incredibly expressive. I especially loved the fabulous wolf. He has such intense emotions and they are all conveyed by the artist. He is drawn scarily (his paw wrapped around the boys arm, his claws and teeth prominently displayed) but in a comical way (a scary wolf in homemade woodland clothes). I also love Gertrude and Toby. This is our third outing with these characters and the illustrator seems to be feeling very comfortable with them - even unto them showing angry irritation with each other. His portrayal of each is true to their character and really adds depth to their stories. I just cannot say enough good things about these pictures!

Overall:
I hope you love these books as much as I do! They are not perfect but they are full of fun and charm.

This is the third book in the the Gertrude and Toby series. Classroom teachers will be able to share this book with young readers for story time or for lessons on comparing and contrasting and writing. This series is rich in imagination and readers familiar with fairy tales will enjoy how Gertrude and Toby meet the wolf and the three pigs. This series is a winner. I hope Tharp continues to write about Gertrude and Toby.

This is the third installment in the lovely Gertrude and Toby Fairy-Tale Adventure Series. In this book, we follow Toby and Gertrude down to the lake to catch some fish. As they are walking down to the pond, they hear a little boy crying for help; however, they don't see this elusive wolf the boy is yelling about. When the boy has finally been snatched up by this big bad wolf, Toby and Gertrude spring into action to save him. This is when we see one of the references to an old classic tale like The Little Boy who Cried Wolf. Three Little Pigs also makes an appearance in the book as well.

Cute illustrations and an exciting little story that children will enjoy. It was also great that you didn't need to read the first two books in the series to understand what was going on in this book.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest opinion. My thanks to Shari Tharp, Author; Jim Heath, Illustrator, and Atlas Publishing for the opportunity.

I was very excited when my granny read this book to me.

I am also an adventurer and when my mummy took me to the Wolf Sanctuary which is near our house I talked to them and explained that it wasn't nice for wolves to want to eat little children.

I also know half a wolf. Yes. Really. My dog Sting is half wolf and half husky. He is the most precious dog

RosieNix

Gertrude and Toby are off for another Friday Adventure! This time they are going fishing at Trout Lake. However, they are constantly being interrupted by a young boy shouting that a wolf is coming. Finally, the young boy is caught by the wolf. Gertrude and Toby decide to help the boy, but end up leading the wolf straight to his favorite meal, the three pigs!

One more amusing adventure for Gertrude and Toby, this time combining the fairy tales of The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Three Little Pigs. I loved that Gertrude and Toby continue to show that friends can have differences and that teamwork is best. This unlikely pair also shows ingenuity for the silly problems that they tend to get into. My little one loved the colorful but simple pictures of the comical animals.

​This book was received for free in return for an honest review.