The small size of this book and others by this author makes them hard to share in a toddler story time despite the perfect fit of the story. Potential contender for a big book perhaps? I like that Gideon doesn't immediately burst into tears upon discovering that Otto has mysteriously wandered off. That storyline has been done to Death! Instead, the smart little gosling goes looking for him and in logical places too! In the further adventures of Gideon the ruddy gosling, the storyline will be quite familiar to parents and young ones alike. Gideon loves his toy octopus, Otto, and he carries him everywhere he goes. While out having fun one day, Gideon leaves Otto on a rock, and he somehow is lost. Gideon searches desperately, but he can't find Otto--until he happens to turn up in an unexpected way. The pen-and-ink and gouache illustrations are appealing and have a sentimental quality to them, making them not so tedious for readalouds.