Have You Seen Gordon?
Gordon is a purple anteater who can be found amongst dozens of animals going about their business in a Richard Scarry-esque world. The text provides clues about where to look for Gordon. “Is he swimming? Is he building a sandcastle?” It turns out Gordon really loves the attention, so he intentionally does things to make readers notice him. This irritates the unseen narrator, who asks readers to look instead for the construction worker (a blue hippo), using the same question pattern that had been used for Gordon. But the hippo is shy. (“And I have a name, you know. It’s Jane.”) To avoid the attention, she makes herself hard to find by running to the next page and hiding. The narrator quickly loses control of the book entirely and instead begins asking things like, “Can you find a baby with a purple pacifier? A dragon playing the violin? A bright copper penny? A slice of blackberry pie?” There is a lot to look at in the zany, detailed illustrations, beyond what the narrator asks for. This clever book takes the Where’s Waldo concept to the next level with delightful twists and is sure to be popular with young children, especially those who appreciate a bit of subversion. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Ruth Chan
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 3-7
Age Range:
Babies/Toddlers (birth – 3)
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Animals (Fiction)
Humor
Meta-narratives
Search-and-Find
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781534477360
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Epstein