Gullible Gus

Good ole' Gus! He will believe everything that he hears. Gus gets fed up with being so gullible, so he sets out to the doctor to find a cure. Doc Hickory tells him that the only cure is to go to the town of Fibrock and find the biggest liar there. If he can listen to the lies and be able to say that he doesn't believe them he will be cured forever! Will he succeed? Read the book to find out! This is a short chapter book with lots of eye catching illustrations. It would make a nice choice for kids transitioning from picture books to chapter books.

Gullible Gus was just one of those sorts of guys who will believe anything you tell him. He's the type of guy you'd love to have around because everyone would be laughing all the time because he was just that dumb. Billy Bones told him that "It's going to rain nails!" so he ran into the barn, got a bucket and put it on his head. Dumb, simply dumb. Doc Hickory examined him and said he had a pretty bad case of gullibility and he'd have to do something about it and promptly sent him off to Fibrock for a cure. Mr. Hokum Malarkey was the biggest liar in Fibrock and told some pretty big whoppers. Doc told Gus if he could "doubt just one, [he'd] be cured for good." Now that was some tall order, but Malarkey was up to it. He told him the story of Dr. Ducknoise and how he "near ruined the nice little town of Flapjack" with his "Smart Syrup." Everyone got so darned smart when they ordered a donut they would ask the baker, "Are you currently the purveyors of pastry with a single orifice, a diameter of approximately five inches, and a high caloric content?" Of course then he gave them Dumb Drops. At any rate, Gus believed that story and he believed the one about Cantankerous Clem From Grasshopper Flats. Malarkey was having a tough time. What kind of tale could he tell Gus that he WOULDN'T believe? Whoa, how about Backwards Hannah? This book has a few tall twisting tales that you're going to love. Of course Gullible Gus is a charming, but dopey character, that will appeal to everyone. One of my favorite characters in the book was Cantankerous Clem who would "argue with his own echo" just to be argumentative. This is a zany, inane book that was superbly crafted just for the tall tale lover. When you get this book, just make sure you check out Clem's take on soup before you hand it over to your youngster. Believe me, you're going to laugh and, most likely, recognize some old curmudgeon you know!

Gus believes everything the other cowboys tell him - all their tall tales and lies - and their teasing makes him sad. But Doc Hickory knows a cure for gullibility and it begins with a visit to Fibrock, a town full of liars. Can the biggest fibber teach Gus the difference between fact and lie? Andrew Glass provides a fine set of color drawings for this excellent chapter book.