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Silly Tilly
Is Tilly too silly? This goofy goose "took her baths in apple juice. She wore a pancake for a hat. She tried to ride the farmer's cat. She kissed a fish. Imagine that!" But Tilly's ridiculous behavior wears thin, prompting her barnyard friends to say, "That's enough!" So Tilly stops being silly-for a while. The farm becomes Dullsville. Hetta Hen remarks, "I haven't laughed since Tilly chased the garbage men." Harvey Goat adds, "Not since Tilly sneezed and blew the fleas from Farmer's coat and set his underwear afloat." Finally, Horse rallies the animals to apologize, and Tilly resumes her antics. The outsize, cartoonish illustrations of acrylic, pencil, and pen on linen overflow the pages and embellish the humor with details like the tiny tractors on Farmer's boxers. If kids don't already know the phrase "you silly goose," they will after laughing at this performance. Preschool-Grade 2. --Julie Cummins
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2009
489 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Spinelli
138 books101 followersEileen Spinelli is an award-winning children's book author from southeastern Pennsylvania. She has written over 100 picture books and novels for children. Her husband is Jerry Spinelli, who also writes books for children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
June 8, 2017
What a great kids book!!
We all need to be more like silly tilly! More fun for everyone!! Be yourself and you will find happiness like silly tilly
We all need to be more like silly tilly! More fun for everyone!! Be yourself and you will find happiness like silly tilly
January 12, 2026
Love this book! It rolls off the tongue, it’s humorous, and teaches a simple lesson, and it’s imaginative.
May 29, 2019
Kayden rated this one but I also agree :)
August 30, 2020
Rhyming early reader
Fun rhyme style story. Pictures directly illustrate the text. Pictures are adorable. A small lesson of inclusion and diversity. Would be a great side by side reading story.
Fun rhyme style story. Pictures directly illustrate the text. Pictures are adorable. A small lesson of inclusion and diversity. Would be a great side by side reading story.
June 18, 2021
A timeless classic
What a silly goose. A strong tale of the power of apology and laughter. I especially liked when (spoiler) Tilly soaked her feet in mayonnaise.
What a silly goose. A strong tale of the power of apology and laughter. I especially liked when (spoiler) Tilly soaked her feet in mayonnaise.
July 27, 2009
Is it possible to be too silly? It isn’t if you’re named Silly Tilly! Eileen Spinelli’s loveable Tilly, the “daffy-down-and-dilly-goose,” is the life of the farm until her silly hijinks get the best of her barnyard friends. With colorful, cartoon-like exaggeration, illustrator David Slonim’s farm animals chastise Tilly for her featherbrained shenanigans, figuratively clipping Tilly’s wings with “enough’s enough!” The scolded Tilly is a forlorn Tilly, with sadness threatening to spill from her eyes. Tilly behaves. And while Tilly behaves, the farm animals wonder over the quietness of the barnyard…the absolute lifelessness of the barnyard. A barnyard sans Tilly is “dudsville.” Spinelli teaches us that everybody’s personality is different for a reason. Everyone has a place in the barnyard and it takes all kinds to make the world go ‘round. Category: Lower Grade, 2009.
July 20, 2009
Very cute story about a fun loving duck whose silly antics are not particularly appreciated by her peers until she agrees to refrain, at which point life on the farm quickly grows much duller as result. I wouldn't have thought that "sometimes you don't know what you've got till it's gone" was a message of much use to a toddler. Seems like you should have a bit more mileage on you before this invaluable lesson applies. Nevertheless, this book proved to be an instant winner with my 3-year old daughter. She became so upset when informed that it had been returned to the library that we immediately took it out again.
March 9, 2011
Oh, Tilly, you're just too cute! This book is told in rhyme and the illustrations add to Tilly's humor. I'm sure this one will have kids laughing as they read about Tilly taking a bath in apple juice and wearing a pancake for hat. It's a perfect Amelia Bedelia sort of book for young readers. I expect this one to do well in the Building Block Award voting and I think young readers will fall in love with Tilly and her antics.
October 14, 2015
Silly Tilly is book about a goose who is very silly and dose some crazy things but that begins bothering the other farm animals .I would recommend this book to someone who likes funny,silly and quick books.I liked this book the things that see dose are very silly.
June 27, 2017
I read it beforeuhcfuiashggffiefyruiqw0r7efjhadvggnqeufgr7r8eie8gqf'awiehfpsohuaghdfhdsfgdyisdedye238yr82e8rrufjgurfgur8jru4rrifusjdjejhr yuiehdg8usbcfdhvryr33fyrc8ffrrgry4yrhrrfruhbfgjrfvfgvfbwv chvrfb vcbvfnhgr3bgvrhu4ru858hg bfu4yugfyfeAFRXX6R74TFREERGRRHRRRFYRGFHRFBVNC VGVRHFBFVGRYRBFV RBGVHV BRGSDSBVDSJWEEHHCF UDSHFCGERDFYRUUEWSAEWSDGBFHUFCUFEDYFEEDCEDCDEHDHCHVBFRVHVHERVRVRDABHHBFFBRGVRFFVRFDECDWDBHBH1243GIEDEFRYGGDDGCG3RFYRCBFYVRYFH7YER4YRY4FDFGFYEFDWRYWRYGQE3BFGQE7VFUGEDGFYRHV72GTYFFGVYEWG3EDF7DFRTFFHFFRUHDGCTWFCGYUWGAGDCDBDEEFDHEYFEHFRHFDGFNFDSDNCHFESNDBCNFVFNSSCFDFEKCNXCNVDCBFNCJNFBEKSNJCDBBDBCJSDBCFBFVDBRFRDUGFDETRWTEF32DFCQDBGCHEUTE6312YWEDHXSWEDBSUITF6E7DTTGDGDESHDU7EGDHHHHE437W8UISDGET637EDGE7UEJFU8EFHR4U8FBHCBURHUH UCHRCHDUHU1DEUNEF3N3 NUUUJUBHUCHUHD U HJUSUN9X JX N S S NUASANJIAIDHUDFW6YGUFFHUFHRUGTGHRGH7TGUTEJUGHR8RURHGUGUTGHRHUUEHRGUHUGRHUGRURGHUTHUGHHGUTGUTUTGHTUTHUGHTGHGUTHGHUGUTUTUGUGTGUTUUGGHGEUUHGUURUHGRGUUDUKFGHHJDGHURUTGHR85TDGHERHTGG8G8R5U5TYTGEIYUG4Y8UR8URY7T8HTUURIUTYY
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2019
Silly Tilly is an amazing picture book for early readers! It's recommended for grades Pre-K and Kindergarten but it would be a great book to include in First Grade classes for struggling readers and whole group review. Silly Tilly tells the story of a funny goose on a farm but her silly antics annoy the other farm animals which leads to them asking her to stop being silly. However, the farm animals realize that life on the farm is boring without Tilly's goofiness so they ask her to go back to her silly ways. The book illustrations are vibrant and colorful and they vividly illustrate the words in the story. Another reason this book is an excellent choice is because the story rhymes and provides opportunities for spelling extensions (i.e. focusing on word endings -ake, -og, etc.) Overall, this a fun story that also happens to be a great teaching tool for early readers. It's a win for students and teachers. Teachers can model reading behaviors for students and I know students will love to mimic their teachers in this funny tale.
October 2, 2018
Summary:
This book is about a goose named Tilly. As the title states, Tilly was very silly and the animals begin to become upset at how silly she is. Tilly decides to stop being silly and the other animals begin to realize that they missed the silliness of Tilly.
Teaching Point:
I think that by reading this book to the kids it would be a good opener for rhyming. This book is full of rhymes and you could also use it to teach poems as well.
Evaluation:
This was a super cute book. I loved how it was funny but also rhymed throughout the whole book. I think that this book is important to have in your classroom so that the students are able to see rhyming in action and see that it is important.
This book is about a goose named Tilly. As the title states, Tilly was very silly and the animals begin to become upset at how silly she is. Tilly decides to stop being silly and the other animals begin to realize that they missed the silliness of Tilly.
Teaching Point:
I think that by reading this book to the kids it would be a good opener for rhyming. This book is full of rhymes and you could also use it to teach poems as well.
Evaluation:
This was a super cute book. I loved how it was funny but also rhymed throughout the whole book. I think that this book is important to have in your classroom so that the students are able to see rhyming in action and see that it is important.
September 9, 2019
Silly Tilly is a super fun book. It rhymes and has a thoughtful moral. Tilly is a silly goose through and through. She wears pancakes for hats, combs her feathers with a rake, and glues blue glitter to the plow. Except, her farm friends think Silly Tilly is too silly. They scold her and halt all her fun. After three weeks, it dawns on her friends that life is dull and mundane without Tilly’s antics. With quacks, oinks, and heartfelt sighs, they apologize to Tilly. Soon, farm life returns to its eventful customs of unexpected shenanigans. Charlie Chaplin said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Silly Tilly’s friends will never waste another day!
May 18, 2020
Silly Tilly is the "class clown" of the farm she is always pulling jokes and acting silly, and the other animals get tired of her silly ways they tell her to STOP that she isn't funny and leave them alone, and she does. The other farm animals realize that Tilly is missed and that they haven't laughed in forever, and that they were not very nice to Tilly, so they apologize and Tilly goes back to being Silly.
The graphics are great and the rhyming is perfect for younger children and it would be great for preschool or kindergarten where they are learning how to treat each other.
The graphics are great and the rhyming is perfect for younger children and it would be great for preschool or kindergarten where they are learning how to treat each other.
January 26, 2026
What a fun read!
Four Point Five Stars
Tilly is not the normal farm bird. Bathing in apple juice and getting around sitting on the cat is just one of the few things that she does. Not only does she thoroughly enjoy herself, the farm animals enjoy her company. But then one day, the other animals think that enough is enough, but things are no longer fun after that.
Lovely silly fun book with beautiful illustrations making me laugh out aloud.
Enjoyable read for kids and adults!
https://ok-readingcorner.blogspot.com...
Four Point Five Stars
Tilly is not the normal farm bird. Bathing in apple juice and getting around sitting on the cat is just one of the few things that she does. Not only does she thoroughly enjoy herself, the farm animals enjoy her company. But then one day, the other animals think that enough is enough, but things are no longer fun after that.
Lovely silly fun book with beautiful illustrations making me laugh out aloud.
Enjoyable read for kids and adults!
https://ok-readingcorner.blogspot.com...
May 25, 2021
Silly Tilly Is Not Frilly
Here is a fun to read book for the little ones, ages 2-6, about a silly goose who takes a bath in apple juice and wears a pancake as a hat. She also sails the pigs bucket through the water. The story is fun and it has rhyming words about farm animals. The illustration are whimsical and exciting. I highly recommend this book for all the silly gooses who dream of showing their Silly Tilly side.
Here is a fun to read book for the little ones, ages 2-6, about a silly goose who takes a bath in apple juice and wears a pancake as a hat. She also sails the pigs bucket through the water. The story is fun and it has rhyming words about farm animals. The illustration are whimsical and exciting. I highly recommend this book for all the silly gooses who dream of showing their Silly Tilly side.
February 5, 2023
- This book is very colorful and fun.
- There are good rhyming words in the sentences.
- I like how the characters match the scene. For example, it is a farm with farm animals and the animals speak to each other.
- The tasks that Tilly does with the animals relate to their kind. One example is he did six cartwheels on a cow. This could be because the backs of cow are big enough for this little duck to flip on.
- There are good rhyming words in the sentences.
- I like how the characters match the scene. For example, it is a farm with farm animals and the animals speak to each other.
- The tasks that Tilly does with the animals relate to their kind. One example is he did six cartwheels on a cow. This could be because the backs of cow are big enough for this little duck to flip on.
October 12, 2017
I am going to give it five stars... or rather my daughter is, she loved it and said she wanted me to read it again. I notice with some children's books that adults will give a rating based off their own opinion on the story, etc.. personally I have hated a few books I have read to my little one but she enjoyed it.... to me that is all that matters...whether or not she enjoyed it!
May 6, 2018
Silly Tilly is a silly goose much to the annoyance of her fellow barnyard animals. When they tell her to stop with the antics, not only does it make Tilly unhappy, it makes them unhappy too as she was the source of their entertainment. They apologize and embrace the goofiness of their friend, laughing with her as she does goofy things.
August 23, 2018
Tilly was a silly fun looking Goose. She was starting to get on the nerves of all the other animals, and they told her she needed to stop acting silly. As the days went by, that other animals noticed that there was no more fun on the farm. The realized it was because the goose wasn't being silly any more, and the soon got her to be her old fun loving self.
May 23, 2021
Tilly Goose is the silliest animal in the barnyard, tickling frogs, kissing fish, and taking a bath in apple juice. Until one day the other animals thought they had enough and stopped Tilly from being Silly. Will the animals be happy without laughing at Silly Tilly? Slonim’s acrylic, pencil, and ballpoint pen illustrations add to Spinelli’s rhyming text to create a wacky and wonderful read-aloud.
May 8, 2023
Well, it seems that everyone is tired of Tilly's shenanigans. But are they? Things were a lot more fun when Tilly was able to be her authentic self. She was happier and the barnyard crowd had some good laughs to look forward to. Tune in to find out how Tilly becomes appreciated for who she is. A cute book with expansive and colorful illustrations. You will find yourself cheering for Tilly also!
April 13, 2025
hilarious tail of a silly goose
This is actually quite a funny story. I read it to my two daughters and we all had a good time reading this book quite well written and the animations are very nice. Definitely worth a read.
I read it to my seven-year-old and she said “ it’s a super funny story.”
I read it to my 10-year-old and she said “thumbs up from me!”
This is actually quite a funny story. I read it to my two daughters and we all had a good time reading this book quite well written and the animations are very nice. Definitely worth a read.
I read it to my seven-year-old and she said “ it’s a super funny story.”
I read it to my 10-year-old and she said “thumbs up from me!”
February 9, 2017
I read this book to three different sets of preschoolers, one of which is a group known to have short attention spans. This kept even their attention all the way to the end. It's funny and has a good message in the end.
February 16, 2017
I'm not all that fond of stories in rhyme, and when I read this without looking at the illustrations (just to check out the story) it falls flat. The illustrations are what makes this a fun book in my opinion. The story has merit, but the pictures make it a fun book to read with children.
October 9, 2018
Rhymes are very clever and extremely silly. Might work best with a slightly older group of preschoolers (4-5) due to the interesting wordplay, but the younger group I read to today (3-4) laughed at several spots.
May 1, 2020
Silly story with great images
The images are great! This story reminds me of how laughing is something we all need. Without laughing it’s hard to find that joy. And sometimes one person is meant to bring that joy.
The images are great! This story reminds me of how laughing is something we all need. Without laughing it’s hard to find that joy. And sometimes one person is meant to bring that joy.
September 12, 2020
Well, the book is very nice and I love how they realized that they need everyone to secede in life.
This book is so relatable 🤣🤣🤣😂😂😊.
Molokai has hahaha I am a cow! Bhahahaha to funny!!!!! Let's go people. P
This book is so relatable 🤣🤣🤣😂😂😊.
Molokai has hahaha I am a cow! Bhahahaha to funny!!!!! Let's go people. P
November 14, 2020
Silly and adorable
The pictures are amazing and have lots of details. The story is cute and breezy, easy to follow with little ones. It also has a really good lesson for kids. Loved it.
The pictures are amazing and have lots of details. The story is cute and breezy, easy to follow with little ones. It also has a really good lesson for kids. Loved it.
January 8, 2021
Really fun book -- fun to look at, fun to read outloud, fun to share. The triple line rhymes have a lot of alliteration, assonance, and word play, and the illustrations bring out the humor of the pranks but never shade into meanness.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews