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Gaston and Friends
Gaston
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Picture Books (2014)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 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?
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
22 people are currently reading
2522 people want to read
About the author
Kelly DiPucchio
50 books259 followersKelly is the award-winning author of several children’s books, thousands of To-Do lists, and a few recipe cards. Two of her books, Grace For President and The Sandwich Swap, were New York Times bestsellers.
Like most kids who grew up in the 1970’s, Kelly had a pet goat and bought all her clothes from the Sears catalog. Like most teenagers who grew up in the 1980’s, Kelly had really big glasses and feathered hair.
Today, Kelly lives with her husband and three children in southeastern Michigan, where she enjoys writing just about everything except her own bio.
Like most kids who grew up in the 1970’s, Kelly had a pet goat and bought all her clothes from the Sears catalog. Like most teenagers who grew up in the 1980’s, Kelly had really big glasses and feathered hair.
Today, Kelly lives with her husband and three children in southeastern Michigan, where she enjoys writing just about everything except her own bio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 759 reviews
November 3, 2018
This was a nice book. It's about two families of dogs and two pups who feel like they don't fit in no matter how hard they try. The main themes were the grass isn't always greener on the other side and just because you are different doesn't mean you don't belong. The artwork was quirky and cute. I would recommend this for ages 6-10.
August 1, 2016
“Whatever the lesson, Gaston always worked the hardest, practiced the longest, and smiled the biggest.”
This is such an adorable book! It was recommended on Goodreads and was finally marked down as a Kindle book a couple of weeks ago so I bought it right away.
Gaston, a white little Frenchie, is raised in a family of poodles. Though he doesn’t exactly look like the other members of his family, or find it as easy to learn “poodle finesse,” he tries his hardest to be himself.
When the “mix-up” is discovered, two families realize that looking alike doesn’t necessarily make a family “a family.” Such a good book about being yourself, fitting in, blended families, and maybe even adopted children. Very versatile book! Will probably be purchasing the hardcopy edition for my library. The illustrations by Christian Robinson were so awesome!
This is such an adorable book! It was recommended on Goodreads and was finally marked down as a Kindle book a couple of weeks ago so I bought it right away.
Gaston, a white little Frenchie, is raised in a family of poodles. Though he doesn’t exactly look like the other members of his family, or find it as easy to learn “poodle finesse,” he tries his hardest to be himself.
When the “mix-up” is discovered, two families realize that looking alike doesn’t necessarily make a family “a family.” Such a good book about being yourself, fitting in, blended families, and maybe even adopted children. Very versatile book! Will probably be purchasing the hardcopy edition for my library. The illustrations by Christian Robinson were so awesome!
March 25, 2019
This is a nice, fun read with lovely illustrations. Gaston feels different from the rest of his puppy siblings and one day a walk in the park reveals The resolution is a happy one and the book has some nice messages that you don't have to be like your family to be one of them and that you can be different and just as loved.
July 29, 2016
Cute, switched-at-birth story.
Still, I have mixed thoughts ... I'm not sure about the message it conveys to young kids. There are good lessons here, but something doesn't sit too well with me.
Anyway ... cute.
Rating, 3.5
Still, I have mixed thoughts ... I'm not sure about the message it conveys to young kids. There are good lessons here, but something doesn't sit too well with me.
Anyway ... cute.
Rating, 3.5
May 26, 2015
So sweet! I loved this. It shows that family is those who love you and whom you love, not necessarily those who are "like" you. I could see this being used in adoptive families and many other situations. Loved it. Oh, and the dogs' names are great, too. My two year old loved the book even though the many layers of the message are beyond him right now.
September 20, 2019
How darn ADORABLE is this book? I can't. Gaston is about a bunch of puppies — that's probably all most of you need to know, but I'll go on. We have a family of little prim poodles, but one puppy looks... different. And they meet a family of rambunctious little bulldogs, in which, again, one puppy looks different. It's a story about found families and how sometimes, the family we belong to most has nothing to do with who birthed us, but also, it's just a really stinking cute book about puppies.
June 12, 2014
The illustrations are great but an underlying message of the story is problematic. On one level, it's a sweet story about belonging and family but on another level it seems to reinforce gender stereotypes with tenderness depicted as innately feminine and brutishness masculine. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but that's how it strikes me.
December 1, 2014
The art is AMAZEBALLS. After Josephine (HI MUST-BUY), Christian Robinson is quickly becoming one of my new fave illustrators. But I was troubled by the resonances of the story. I don't really think we're all nature or all nurture. I don't want kids to think that. This book basically does say NATURE WINS HANDS-DOWN BOOM. I also wonder what adopted kids would think of this book -- that they'll never truly belong with their adoptive family because there is a REAL family out there that's exactly like them that they should really be with? Yeah, I'm probably overthinking this. But I would totally give this to adult lovers of cool art and French bulldogs and poodles. Not to kids.
July 9, 2014
Gaston is the perfect poodle puppy. He never barks, slobbers, or any other messy thing. He fits in perfect with his proper poodle family. Until a trip to the park reveals a startling revelation. In Kelly DiPucchio’s adorable new picture book, Gaston learns the true meaning of family, love, and being who you truly are.
Seriously, this book is freakin’ adorable. It was recommended to me by a fellow librarian (therefore you know it will be amazing) and it completely warmed my heart! Go forth and read now!
Seriously, this book is freakin’ adorable. It was recommended to me by a fellow librarian (therefore you know it will be amazing) and it completely warmed my heart! Go forth and read now!
February 21, 2019
I love this book. My son usually doesn't care for sweet books and just likes the tough, gross, or spooky ones. (I got it despite his objections.) But after listening to me read it once, he requested it again on the next two following nights before bed.
April 23, 2024
Um livro sobre a liberdade de ser e o amor incondicional das famílias. E tudo com cãezinhos. + 6 anos
March 26, 2019
There are messages here, but they're only offered, not preached, and so the reader has a chance to choose which to explore and which to skip. Maybe it's about adoption. Maybe it's about just plain being happy with who you are. Maybe, even, it's about transexuals.
Or, if you'd rather, just plain enjoy it. It's funny, and cute, and clever. Highly recommended for all ages.
Or, if you'd rather, just plain enjoy it. It's funny, and cute, and clever. Highly recommended for all ages.
May 4, 2014
I really liked this one. A tale of two puppies that may somehow have gotten switched. A celebration of differences. An affirmation of being yourself.
Read
July 5, 2022Dit prentenboek, Gaston, open het en je bent verkocht.
Het witte hondje van het omslag is een pup. Eén van de vier van mevrouw Poedel. De andere drie hebben de namen Fifi, Foefoe en Oe-la-la. En dus Gaston.
Ze leren van hun water te nippen, blaffen is not done en je gaat trippelend door het hondenleven. Ze worden zo het poedeltjes betaamt, keurig opgevoed en als je uitgaat ben je netjes gekamd en gestrikt. Soms mislukt er wel eens iets bij één van de vier ook al doe je zo je best. Bij Gaston dus.
Wie deze hondenfamilie bekijkt, ziet in één oogopslag drie pups van dezelfde grootte en de vierde er duidelijk boven uitsteekt. De meer hoekige Gaston.
De ontmoeting in het park met een andere hondenfamilie laat de bedoeling van dit prentenboek raden. Familie Poedel en Familie Boxer, met ook drie plus één pup, bekijken elkaar goed. Er is iets misgegaan is de conclusie. De moeders laten de kinderen rondjes-rennend beslissen. De uitslag is twee gelijksoortige families. Dat ziet er beter uit, maar vóelt het ook goed?
Op subtiele wijze wordt hier een psychologisch wetenschappelijk thema aangereikt en uitgewerkt.
Aangeboren gedrag en eigenschappen genetisch bepaald versus aangeleerde leefwijze en gedrag door omgeving. Wat hoort er en wat past er? Er wordt geen oordeel geveld over nature-nurture, de nadruk ligt op wat goed voelt. De oplettende lezer ziet dat het lettertype van één naam in een opsomming anders is.
Het speelse karakter van de treffende illustraties is aansprekend en leuk voor alle leeftijden.
Het getal vier wordt doorgetrokken in de illustraties op de achtergrond terwijl je ook drie plus één in decoratie en manier van zitten of staan tegenkomt. Eén dier blijft alleen terugkeren. Het voorstellen wordt in illustratie herhaald waardoor namen opnoemen zal volgen. De illustraties laten je denken aan de Bruna-omslagen van de Havank pockets of het recenter ‘Lig je samen dubbel?’ van Katrin Stangl terwijl Robinson duidelijk een eigen stijl en kleurgebruik heeft die verfrissend is.
De tekst leest soepel in korte zinnen of een enkel woord. Door het stellen van vragen ontstaat er automatisch interactie. Grote vragen als ‘wat is er mis als je er anders uitziet’ en ‘kun je ook samen spelen als je er anders uitziet’ kunnen interessante discussies laten ontstaan. De opdrachten m.b.t. gedrag staan schuingedrukt weergegeven en kunnen tegelijkertijd laten nadenken over de tegenstelling woest en voorzichtig of het stereotiepe roze voor meisjes. Wat betreft woordenschat valt er ook e.e.a. te leren, denk hierbij aan bepalen, trippelen, in stijl, oplossen, elegant of nippen.
In zowel illustratie als tekst zit aanstekelijke humor verwerkt waardoor de voorlezer dit boek met alle liefde meermaals zal willen oppakken. Hoe je er uitziet maakt niet uit, als het gevoel maar goed is en je mag zijn wie je bent, ook al ben je niet groter dan een ‘theekopje’. Voorlezen is door ‘Gaston’ een feest. Een warme tijdloze aanrader!
Het witte hondje van het omslag is een pup. Eén van de vier van mevrouw Poedel. De andere drie hebben de namen Fifi, Foefoe en Oe-la-la. En dus Gaston.
Ze leren van hun water te nippen, blaffen is not done en je gaat trippelend door het hondenleven. Ze worden zo het poedeltjes betaamt, keurig opgevoed en als je uitgaat ben je netjes gekamd en gestrikt. Soms mislukt er wel eens iets bij één van de vier ook al doe je zo je best. Bij Gaston dus.
Wie deze hondenfamilie bekijkt, ziet in één oogopslag drie pups van dezelfde grootte en de vierde er duidelijk boven uitsteekt. De meer hoekige Gaston.
De ontmoeting in het park met een andere hondenfamilie laat de bedoeling van dit prentenboek raden. Familie Poedel en Familie Boxer, met ook drie plus één pup, bekijken elkaar goed. Er is iets misgegaan is de conclusie. De moeders laten de kinderen rondjes-rennend beslissen. De uitslag is twee gelijksoortige families. Dat ziet er beter uit, maar vóelt het ook goed?
Op subtiele wijze wordt hier een psychologisch wetenschappelijk thema aangereikt en uitgewerkt.
Aangeboren gedrag en eigenschappen genetisch bepaald versus aangeleerde leefwijze en gedrag door omgeving. Wat hoort er en wat past er? Er wordt geen oordeel geveld over nature-nurture, de nadruk ligt op wat goed voelt. De oplettende lezer ziet dat het lettertype van één naam in een opsomming anders is.
Het speelse karakter van de treffende illustraties is aansprekend en leuk voor alle leeftijden.
Het getal vier wordt doorgetrokken in de illustraties op de achtergrond terwijl je ook drie plus één in decoratie en manier van zitten of staan tegenkomt. Eén dier blijft alleen terugkeren. Het voorstellen wordt in illustratie herhaald waardoor namen opnoemen zal volgen. De illustraties laten je denken aan de Bruna-omslagen van de Havank pockets of het recenter ‘Lig je samen dubbel?’ van Katrin Stangl terwijl Robinson duidelijk een eigen stijl en kleurgebruik heeft die verfrissend is.
De tekst leest soepel in korte zinnen of een enkel woord. Door het stellen van vragen ontstaat er automatisch interactie. Grote vragen als ‘wat is er mis als je er anders uitziet’ en ‘kun je ook samen spelen als je er anders uitziet’ kunnen interessante discussies laten ontstaan. De opdrachten m.b.t. gedrag staan schuingedrukt weergegeven en kunnen tegelijkertijd laten nadenken over de tegenstelling woest en voorzichtig of het stereotiepe roze voor meisjes. Wat betreft woordenschat valt er ook e.e.a. te leren, denk hierbij aan bepalen, trippelen, in stijl, oplossen, elegant of nippen.
In zowel illustratie als tekst zit aanstekelijke humor verwerkt waardoor de voorlezer dit boek met alle liefde meermaals zal willen oppakken. Hoe je er uitziet maakt niet uit, als het gevoel maar goed is en je mag zijn wie je bent, ook al ben je niet groter dan een ‘theekopje’. Voorlezen is door ‘Gaston’ een feest. Een warme tijdloze aanrader!
August 15, 2020
Loved the art, great message about being where you belong but also making friends with those who are different.
December 13, 2017
Gaston, a bulldog, and Antoinette, a poodle, are dogs who get "switched at birth". They're different from the others in their respective families but they love them very much. They meet at the park and realize there's something wrong. They attempt a switch back, but miss the families they left behind. They go back to the way things were before and become friends. Gaston and Antoinette later end up starting a family of their own. This is a very cute story that I'd highly recommend, especially to non-traditional families.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2014
Gaston lives with his mother and his three siblings, Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, and Ooh-La-La. They are all poodles, but Gaston is something else. He worked hard to be the best poodle puppy he could be, not slobbering, barking correctly and walking gracefully. When the poodle family went to the park, they met a bulldog family there that had its own unusual family member who looked like a poodle. There had clearly been a mix up! So Gaston switches places with Antoinette. Now the families look just the way they should, but neither Antoinette or Gaston seem to feel right in their “correct” families. What is a dog to do?
Right from the first pages, readers will know that there is something unusual about Gaston and how he fits into his family. It all becomes clear once the other dog family appears in the story and readers may think that fixing the mix up is the resolution of the story. Happily, it isn’t and the book becomes more about where you feel you fit in rather than where the world might place you. Gaston is a great mix of energetic bulldog puppy and also a prim poodle attitude. Antoinette is the reverse, a delicate poodle who plays like a bulldog.
Robinson’s illustrations are done in acrylic paint that gives texture to the images. The bold illustrations have bursts of color throughout and are done in a large format that will work well when shared with a group. All of the dogs have charm, though readers will immediate fall for the bright spunk of Gaston in particular.
A book about adoption and families that doesn’t hit too hard with the message of inclusiveness and diversity. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
Right from the first pages, readers will know that there is something unusual about Gaston and how he fits into his family. It all becomes clear once the other dog family appears in the story and readers may think that fixing the mix up is the resolution of the story. Happily, it isn’t and the book becomes more about where you feel you fit in rather than where the world might place you. Gaston is a great mix of energetic bulldog puppy and also a prim poodle attitude. Antoinette is the reverse, a delicate poodle who plays like a bulldog.
Robinson’s illustrations are done in acrylic paint that gives texture to the images. The bold illustrations have bursts of color throughout and are done in a large format that will work well when shared with a group. All of the dogs have charm, though readers will immediate fall for the bright spunk of Gaston in particular.
A book about adoption and families that doesn’t hit too hard with the message of inclusiveness and diversity. Appropriate for ages 4-6.
March 30, 2018
We adopted our son and we read this book together. There are cute aspects of it, the illustrations, etc. But I am always bothered by the idea that mothers would see their children looking like someone else's family and think, "yeah, I'm gonna just let my kid go back to that family because it *looks* right. You know, this is awkward, but it's not going to rip my heart out." (I get that the puppies choose, but still. If it was a story about an adoptee seeking their birth family and needing to understand where they came from, that would be different and require a more complex treatment than a story like this is designed to do. But that also is not the storyline here).
The two mom dogs experience regret and see their mistake by that evening, although all the siblings seem to feel fine, which feels bad as well. I think the author means well, but I have felt compelled as I'm reading this story to say to my son I would never let him go like that and that the story is not realistic that way.
The two mom dogs experience regret and see their mistake by that evening, although all the siblings seem to feel fine, which feels bad as well. I think the author means well, but I have felt compelled as I'm reading this story to say to my son I would never let him go like that and that the story is not realistic that way.
June 8, 2018
1) Alright class, we will be reading this heartwarming book titled “Gaston”, but first let’s look at the back cover of this book. [shows the children the back of the book, there is 1 dog and 4 puppies sitting in a row] Can anyone tell me what’s different about one of the puppies? {wait for a child to respond} That’s right! That puppy is bigger than the other puppies. Has anyone ever felt like they were the “odd” one in their own family? Like you truly believe you don’t belong in this family because you have nothing in common with these people? Well let’s find out if that is true for the puppy named Gaston.
2) The two openings I used:
- Prompt hypothesizing based on the image
- Clarify the writer’s point of view
3) I chose the first opening because I wanted to grab the children’s attention with showing them the back of the book, this way they can start to hypothesize on what the story might actually be about. I chose the second opening because I wanted the students to really grasp and understand the message within this delightful story right from the beginning.
2) The two openings I used:
- Prompt hypothesizing based on the image
- Clarify the writer’s point of view
3) I chose the first opening because I wanted to grab the children’s attention with showing them the back of the book, this way they can start to hypothesize on what the story might actually be about. I chose the second opening because I wanted the students to really grasp and understand the message within this delightful story right from the beginning.
February 2, 2016
I loved this book. It was adorable. The art was great and the story was cute. The only problem was that I was a little confused by the whole moral of the story. I think it's supposed to be that just because you look like certain people it doesn't mean you belong with them and that you belong with the people you love. It was just an odd way to show that. Don't get me wrong. The story was great. It's about a puppy who is switched at birth and when the mothers figure it out they attempt a switch back and no one is happy until everyone is back where they started. Maybe it's just supposed to be a story and there is no real lesson or moral. I'm going to just say it's that you belong with who you love. Either way I loved it. The illustrations were simple, colorful and bold and the story was cute.
February 3, 2016
I don't usually review Children's books because I read them EVERY DAY, that means I would have to write reviews EVERY DAY. I don't really have time for that...
The story of Gaston can teach so many lessons in a classroom and even in your own home. It is an easy way to put in perspective that whatever you learn at home does not necessarily apply to all the other homes around you. It is this what makes your family special, what makes YOU special. It is not the place where you come from but the people that nurture you that help you become who you are and possibly inspire what you do. I know is just a simple children's book, but it shows you this idea in such a funny way that if I was six again, I would make it my favorite bed time story. Oh, of course THE DOGS, THE REALLY CUTE DOGS.
I recommend this book to any family who has adopted a child, but in general is a really heartwarming book.
The story of Gaston can teach so many lessons in a classroom and even in your own home. It is an easy way to put in perspective that whatever you learn at home does not necessarily apply to all the other homes around you. It is this what makes your family special, what makes YOU special. It is not the place where you come from but the people that nurture you that help you become who you are and possibly inspire what you do. I know is just a simple children's book, but it shows you this idea in such a funny way that if I was six again, I would make it my favorite bed time story. Oh, of course THE DOGS, THE REALLY CUTE DOGS.
I recommend this book to any family who has adopted a child, but in general is a really heartwarming book.
January 19, 2015
This is about a bulldog that gets mixed up with a poodle family and vice versa. It's about embracing differences but it also represents adoption and how a person might look different from others in the family but is a member all the same. You could also use it to discuss how some people have to work harder at being good at something than others. A surprising amount of themes are layered in this picture book. Students laughed every time I said the poodles' names: Fi-Fi, Foo-Foo, and Ooh-la-la.
June 23, 2014
"What looks right, doesn't always feel right." Ain't that the truth?!
May 6, 2016
You need to be what feels right to you!!!!
December 8, 2016
A wonderfully illustrated story about being different, staying true to oneself, and embracing those unique and individual characteristics.
March 22, 2017
I love this book! Yes, I got a little misty eyed for a page or two.
August 5, 2022
Oh my goodness, this is just the cutest! So glad it won the Monarch!
June 6, 2019
2019 update: I love this one even more the second time around. I upgraded this from three to five stars. Definitely a classic for us.
April 6, 2017
I really loved this adorable book about belonging and acceptance, and even all the whining I've read in reviews about it "reinforcing negative stereotypes" can't stop me from loving it. Maybe that makes me an asshole, but oh well. In the end, they teach each other how to be a little different than what's expected of them, so where's the reinforcement?
Gaston is a bulldog in a family of poodles. He doesn't "look" like he belongs, and has to work extra hard to be a proper little dog. His mom is always so proud of him, and he finds happiness in his little family...until they go to the park and realize there's been a mix-up! He goes back to his bulldog family (and Antoinette, the mixed-up poodle, goes to her poodle family), but they just don't quite fit in. And the moms just can't help but miss their babies. They find their way back to where they belong, and learn a little about how being true to themselves. I love this. It'd be great for a rising readers storytime.
Gaston is a bulldog in a family of poodles. He doesn't "look" like he belongs, and has to work extra hard to be a proper little dog. His mom is always so proud of him, and he finds happiness in his little family...until they go to the park and realize there's been a mix-up! He goes back to his bulldog family (and Antoinette, the mixed-up poodle, goes to her poodle family), but they just don't quite fit in. And the moms just can't help but miss their babies. They find their way back to where they belong, and learn a little about how being true to themselves. I love this. It'd be great for a rising readers storytime.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 759 reviews