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Gooseberry Park #1
Gooseberry Park
The touching story of an unusual friendship, from one of today's most masterful children's book writers. Now repackaged with an updated look and feel.
You could call it unusual. Strange in fact. Most dogs chase squirrels. But not Kona. He's friends with a squirrel. A squirrel named Stumpy. Kona thinks Stumpy's the best thing since chocolate doggie treats.
So when a dangerous ice storm hits Gooseberry Park, all Kona can think about is Stumpy -- and her newborn babies. Can they survive in the freezing cold? Kona wants to help. But the journey to Gooseberry Park is icy and treacherous. It will be a difficult, risky trip. But sometimes, a dog will risk it all -- for a best friend.
You could call it unusual. Strange in fact. Most dogs chase squirrels. But not Kona. He's friends with a squirrel. A squirrel named Stumpy. Kona thinks Stumpy's the best thing since chocolate doggie treats.
So when a dangerous ice storm hits Gooseberry Park, all Kona can think about is Stumpy -- and her newborn babies. Can they survive in the freezing cold? Kona wants to help. But the journey to Gooseberry Park is icy and treacherous. It will be a difficult, risky trip. But sometimes, a dog will risk it all -- for a best friend.
144 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 13, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
July 1, 2011
I haven't a shred of objectivity about this delightful story of a squirrel named Stumpy, a bat named Murray, a dog named Kona and the wise and wonderful hermit crab, Gwendolyn.
I read this one aloud about a hundred thousand times and I loved it every bit as much as my animal-obsessed boy did. He, now an elderly teen, still reads it when he's in bed with a cold.
It's lyrical, sweet, and hilarious. There's not a mean line in this book, though there is sarcasm and teasing. There are slightly scary parts, when Stumpy is lost in the storm, but one always feels quite sure that Kona, Murray, and Gwendolyn will be able to find her and reunite her with her babies.
I read this one aloud about a hundred thousand times and I loved it every bit as much as my animal-obsessed boy did. He, now an elderly teen, still reads it when he's in bed with a cold.
It's lyrical, sweet, and hilarious. There's not a mean line in this book, though there is sarcasm and teasing. There are slightly scary parts, when Stumpy is lost in the storm, but one always feels quite sure that Kona, Murray, and Gwendolyn will be able to find her and reunite her with her babies.
April 26, 2014
It always boggled my mind (and still does) that this has never been adapted into an animated film. It's got it all: A very sweet, unlikely friendship, conflict that seems real, several goofy moments, and beautiful art. If a kid you know loves animals, they'll get a kick out of this.
September 15, 2019
What a fun book for all ages! We thoroughly enjoyed this one as a family and friends read aloud.
September 16, 2025
Read-aloud with 6-year-old girl.
For those who enjoy animal friendship stories like The Wind in the Willows or more contemporary ones like Heartwood Hotel, this sweet book is one to consider. The lovable, hilarious, and heroic characters delighted my young daughter and the story kept her asking for 'one more chapter'.
Be aware: One character, the hermit crab, is portrayed in a 'wise-old-sage' way and makes references to New Age concepts like reincarnation.
For those who enjoy animal friendship stories like The Wind in the Willows or more contemporary ones like Heartwood Hotel, this sweet book is one to consider. The lovable, hilarious, and heroic characters delighted my young daughter and the story kept her asking for 'one more chapter'.
Be aware: One character, the hermit crab, is portrayed in a 'wise-old-sage' way and makes references to New Age concepts like reincarnation.
October 4, 2025
Such a delightful read aloud. Any lover for Mr Putter or Henry and Mudge would love this early chapter book.
May 20, 2019
This book is great.
I first read this book as a kid, and I think I actually read it twice then. I am amazed by how many details I remember from the story, like the things in Stumpy's collection and Kona's name origin. I love that all the main characters are animals but they are very human in their actions, thoughts, and even what they eat!
I would recommend this book to kids just starting to read chapter books (kindergarten - 2nd grade) since it does have chapters, but it's not a very long book (around 100 pages) and there are still some pictures in there. The illustrations are very cute, but note that they cannot be relied upon for understanding the story, they are just fun little images to illustrate a bit of what's going on.
I think parents would also enjoy this book, so if you're looking for something to read with your child this might be a good pick, especially if you're interested in a book with a Democrat Jeopardy-loving bat!
I first read this book as a kid, and I think I actually read it twice then. I am amazed by how many details I remember from the story, like the things in Stumpy's collection and Kona's name origin. I love that all the main characters are animals but they are very human in their actions, thoughts, and even what they eat!
I would recommend this book to kids just starting to read chapter books (kindergarten - 2nd grade) since it does have chapters, but it's not a very long book (around 100 pages) and there are still some pictures in there. The illustrations are very cute, but note that they cannot be relied upon for understanding the story, they are just fun little images to illustrate a bit of what's going on.
I think parents would also enjoy this book, so if you're looking for something to read with your child this might be a good pick, especially if you're interested in a book with a Democrat Jeopardy-loving bat!
May 7, 2019
A fine read-aloud, with short chapters, good vocab, cute pictures, and a happy ending.
What I liked: Animal companions interested in each others’ likes & dislikes (showing true friendship); baby squirrels! And they nurse, which is appreciated (a small bit of realism in this kooky world of talking critters); the dog’s owner is kindly (a professor!); even the housebound crab is part of the friend group.
What I disliked: I hate the name “Stumpy” (Mama squirrel), but that’s just me... It stressed me out that the babies were ever separated from their (nursing) mother. The numerous Wheel of Fortune references went over the kids’ heads.
All in all, a pleasant time was had by read-aloud-er and listeners!
What I liked: Animal companions interested in each others’ likes & dislikes (showing true friendship); baby squirrels! And they nurse, which is appreciated (a small bit of realism in this kooky world of talking critters); the dog’s owner is kindly (a professor!); even the housebound crab is part of the friend group.
What I disliked: I hate the name “Stumpy” (Mama squirrel), but that’s just me... It stressed me out that the babies were ever separated from their (nursing) mother. The numerous Wheel of Fortune references went over the kids’ heads.
All in all, a pleasant time was had by read-aloud-er and listeners!
September 8, 2018
Such a good read-aloud for young children.
November 13, 2020
My 8yo and I really enjoyed this sweet story of different kinds of animals working together toward a common goal. Bonus: some giggly moments.
October 6, 2021
This was a great favorite of mine as a child, and I was happy to find it just as gentle, charming, and wry as I remember it.
March 23, 2023
Pre-read for my sensitive daughter. Cute story, happy ending. The bat character was funny.
March 25, 2024
The MOST delightful little chapter book. The reading level is for fourth - sixth graders, but I’ll definitely be reading this to Toby earlier than that! It is the sweetest, cutest little book. The characterization is incredible and the parallels to human life make you chuckle. A winner for sure!
June 19, 2024
Cute read aloud for 1st-2nd grade, was a little slow in the beginning but sped up and ended up cute. I will probably read it to my 2nd grade class
March 6, 2021
This was a really great book to read with our kindergartner. It took a chapter or so to really get into it but we all really liked it by then end!
July 20, 2021
This was a fantastic read! A perfect read aloud chapter book for our evenings at home. The whole family loved the sweet story of these animal friends!
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August 3, 2025the kids enjoyed this cute story.
February 4, 2020
This cute read-aloud made us all smile. It was a quick read that reminded us how friends support and care for each other, especially during hard times.
April 1, 2024
The boys say 5 stars (well, Jasper says 10!). Fun read aloud. Some fat talk that I edited out as I read.
January 7, 2025
I read this aloud to my kids, and we all loved it.
April 18, 2024
My second graders loved this book. It was cute.
August 17, 2013
Originally published on Nine Pages with links.
I first read Cynthia Rylant’s Gooseberry Park as part of my local library’s Nutmeg Book Award group in 2000. Looking over the list of nominees, I am either amazed that this book left such a lasting impression upon me—or certain that I missed several weeks of the program (both are possible, but the latter actually more likely as I know that Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted is on my to-read and not my read list).
I had of late been itching to reread Gooseberry Park and snatched the first copy that I found on the shelves of my local used bookstore.
Gooseberry Park is a quick story of friendship, the coming together of unlikely friends in acts of heroism against nature and disaster, using manmade comforts to combat the cold and the ice and to find one another again after natural disaster has separated them—and wow, that just got a whole lot deeper and darker than I ever gave the book credit for being. Generally, a man over nature plot is not one to which I ascribe.
The story is fun and easy (apparently hiding some deeper, darker themes). Humor peppers the story, often through the animal characters’ fascination with human inventions, primarily through Murray, a bold and scatterbrained bat.
Arthur Howard’s memorable, expressive, and realistically rendered illustrations are much to be praised I think for the book’s memorability.
Fans of Rylant’s Mr. Putter and Tabby series for younger readers will find some familiarity in Gooseberry Park, though Mr. Putter is the protagonist of that series and here Professor Albert is more of a background figure while the animals take a more prominent role. This, like that, is children’s literature with adult protagonists, a rarer thing among children’s literature, and something I would not expect to work well, except that I have heard young children say how much they enjoy the Mr. Putter and Tabby series and Pixar’s movies, almost all of which I have felt were fantastic and many of which have been major blockbusters, have honored almost exclusively adult protagonists. Somehow, though, it is easy to forget that Stumpy, Kona, and Murray are adults, though Stumpy’s motherhood is central to the plot; only wise Gwendolyn the hermit crab reads unmistakably like an adult, and she is the senior of the other three main animal characters.
In rereading, I was honestly a bit disappointed with Gooseberry Park, but I had also held it high in my mind and had been eager to reread it. As I said, it was fun and it was quick, and apparently there were themes that I hadn’t expected to find and didn’t recognize till I sat down to analyze the light read, but I’m also unsure why I remembered it with such fondness unless it was for its illustrations and readability—both of which I have to praise.
I first read Cynthia Rylant’s Gooseberry Park as part of my local library’s Nutmeg Book Award group in 2000. Looking over the list of nominees, I am either amazed that this book left such a lasting impression upon me—or certain that I missed several weeks of the program (both are possible, but the latter actually more likely as I know that Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted is on my to-read and not my read list).
I had of late been itching to reread Gooseberry Park and snatched the first copy that I found on the shelves of my local used bookstore.
Gooseberry Park is a quick story of friendship, the coming together of unlikely friends in acts of heroism against nature and disaster, using manmade comforts to combat the cold and the ice and to find one another again after natural disaster has separated them—and wow, that just got a whole lot deeper and darker than I ever gave the book credit for being. Generally, a man over nature plot is not one to which I ascribe.
The story is fun and easy (apparently hiding some deeper, darker themes). Humor peppers the story, often through the animal characters’ fascination with human inventions, primarily through Murray, a bold and scatterbrained bat.
Arthur Howard’s memorable, expressive, and realistically rendered illustrations are much to be praised I think for the book’s memorability.
Fans of Rylant’s Mr. Putter and Tabby series for younger readers will find some familiarity in Gooseberry Park, though Mr. Putter is the protagonist of that series and here Professor Albert is more of a background figure while the animals take a more prominent role. This, like that, is children’s literature with adult protagonists, a rarer thing among children’s literature, and something I would not expect to work well, except that I have heard young children say how much they enjoy the Mr. Putter and Tabby series and Pixar’s movies, almost all of which I have felt were fantastic and many of which have been major blockbusters, have honored almost exclusively adult protagonists. Somehow, though, it is easy to forget that Stumpy, Kona, and Murray are adults, though Stumpy’s motherhood is central to the plot; only wise Gwendolyn the hermit crab reads unmistakably like an adult, and she is the senior of the other three main animal characters.
In rereading, I was honestly a bit disappointed with Gooseberry Park, but I had also held it high in my mind and had been eager to reread it. As I said, it was fun and it was quick, and apparently there were themes that I hadn’t expected to find and didn’t recognize till I sat down to analyze the light read, but I’m also unsure why I remembered it with such fondness unless it was for its illustrations and readability—both of which I have to praise.
October 24, 2019
This book was really fun to read aloud, mostly because of Murray, the bat, who gave me an urge to read in a strong New York accent. My girls really enjoyed the story, though there were some pop culture references (to the game show Jeopardy! for example) that went over their heads due to lack of exposure. I had previously read the second book, Gooseberry Park and the Master Plan, and would like to read that aloud to them as well eventually.
February 28, 2025
Gooseberry Park, Book 1 by Cynthia Rylant, is an inspiring tale of hope and determination. The story revolves around a dog named Kona and his friends. After an ice storm leaves the park in disaster, Kona is determined to save Stumpy the squirrel, and her babies, who live in the park. But there's a problem: when he gets there, he finds only her babies and no Stumpy. And so, Kona, the chocolate Labrador, Murry, the bat, and Gwendolyn, the hermit crab, begin their adventure to find Stumpy.
It is rare that I find a book in which I am fond of all the characters and also enjoy the story. Cynthia Rylant is able to draw in readers, young and old. I will be continuing this series in the future to read more adventures about Kona and the animals of Gooseberry Park.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
It is rare that I find a book in which I am fond of all the characters and also enjoy the story. Cynthia Rylant is able to draw in readers, young and old. I will be continuing this series in the future to read more adventures about Kona and the animals of Gooseberry Park.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
November 7, 2020
As a child I read and reread this book until it was tattered. Now, as a mom, I sit on my kid's floor and listen to them laugh as I read it to them in their beds. Books like this—that are both innocent and hilarious, heartwarming and peaceful—are the only place where I can introduce my own kids to my childhood friends, and they haven't aged. They are waiting on the bookshelf, to become part of their own childhood. :)
October 7, 2015
***SPOILER ALERT***
Kona go into the freezing cold forrest to find his friend Stumpy and finally he cold find Stumpy find only Stumpy baby so he need to gone back to the freezing forrest and find stumpy again
Kona go into the freezing cold forrest to find his friend Stumpy and finally he cold find Stumpy find only Stumpy baby so he need to gone back to the freezing forrest and find stumpy again
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2013
A great read aloud for my 2nd grade class!
May 19, 2017
LOVED!! The perfect children's chapter book!!
April 12, 2023
I found this book a bit boring and frustrating but my 2nd grade students loved it. It is a very sweet story about unlikely friends and their adventures after an ice storm. My students loved the characters. They thought Kona was very brave and Murray the bat was especially silly. I found the plot a bit frustrating because I didn't think it was likely that Stumpy would leave her babies or that they found the watch so easily. But that's my adult brain being overly critical. My young students didn't have these worries and they thought the story had good drama. So, though it's not my favorite I would probably read it with high 1st or 2nd graders again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2019
I liked it, my youngest liked it, and even my more of a vote of confidence: my reserved, picky older child all enjoyed reading it. And wanted me to read it to them every night to see what happened. That's an automatic win in our house.
The characters alone could have their own books each as they were all so complex.
Only drawback about this book I will say that as an (older) adult reader, I had a hard time keeping up with all the names (and species) of each character.
A tender-hearted story baked in with good lessons and morals.
The characters alone could have their own books each as they were all so complex.
Only drawback about this book I will say that as an (older) adult reader, I had a hard time keeping up with all the names (and species) of each character.
A tender-hearted story baked in with good lessons and morals.
September 10, 2025
Read this with my daughter (7 yo) and I just have to say, we LOVED this book!! I read different voices for the characters, and we had such a fun time giggling at Murry (the bat) and his antics, and saying “awww” as the story showed the loved and devotion that the animals had towards one another! Such an adorable book, and the illustrations were equally as adorable!!! This book reminded me of what it’s like to be a kid again! Loved and 10/10 would recommend to any child or adult for that matter 😆
Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews