Gotcha! http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Gotcha-Gail-Jorgensen-Kerry-Argent-Illustrated-by/9781862911871

By Gail Jorgensen, Kerry Argent (Illustrated by)

Reviews

An ursine party is rudely interrupted as a "big, black, beastly fly" dive-bombs the birthday cake just as the guest of honor is about to cut it. With the feckless Bertha Bear in hot pursuit, the fly takes off, leading her a merry chase through field and swamp. Bertha ineffectually swats at the pesky critter, managing to whack a great many other animals (camel, crocodile, stork and turtle) in the process. They in turn pursue her back to the picnic site, but all's well that end's well as the unexpected guests are placated with the slightly battered cake. This Australian import from a dynamite pair (Jorgensen penned Crocodile Beat; Argent illustrated One Woolly Wombat) shines with energetic humor, from the perky, preschooler-friendly repetition in the text ("WALLOP! GOTCHA! MISSED!") to the droll watercolors. A real funnybone-tickler. Ages 3-7. (Apr.)

PreS-Gr 1‘In this cumulative adventure, a big, black fly invades Bertha Bear's outdoor birthday bash and dive-bombs her seven-layer cake. She tries to swat him, and he leads her on a merry chase over the countryside. En route and by mistake, she swats an indignant camel, crocodile, stork, and tortoise, and each joins the pursuit. Circling back to the party site, Bertha placates the angry animals with pieces of cake, and the fly once again zooms saucily by. Huge, action-filled, pen-and-ink and watercolor pictures follow the odyssey with humor and verve as the emphatic text swoops up and down across the page. A lively and entertaining read-aloud.‘Patricia Pearl Dole, formerly at First Presbyterian School, Martinsville, VA