ALA Booklist (Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2009)

This I Can Read Book in the Gilbert and Friends series does its job. It's short, amusing, and will keep kids reading. Gilbert and family are on their way to the beach when Gilbert remembers that he forgot something s bathing suit. He insists on wearing his new trunks that say Surfer Dude, even though they're too big. Surfing and oversize trunks can only lead to one thing. Adults will see it coming, but new readers probably won't. They'll enjoy looking at the seaside doings in the friendly art while they sharpen their reading skills.

Horn Book (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Opossum Gilbert forgets his bathing suit on a trip to the beach with his family. He hastily buys another one, which is too big, but he loves the "Surfer Dude" emblazoned on the front. Three short chapters and friendly illustrations bring beginning readers along for Gilbert's latest adventure--in which he discovers the perils of mixing waves and oversize swim trunks.

School Library Journal (Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

K-Gr 2 As his family heads to the beach, Gilbert the possum knows he's forgotten something important. After perusing a book on sharks and jellyfish, his younger sister declares that she will not be swimming. When Mother reminds Lola about her brand-new swimsuit, Gilbert remembers exactly what he's forgotten. Of course, the cool "Surfer Dude" swim trunks that he finds at the beachfront shop are too large for him, but he's determined to have them. He's flattened by one wave and then, after one brief exhilarating ride on his boogie board, loses his trunks to another. He then joins Lola in the little pool that they dug in the sand andimpossiblyis filled with water. Like his oversize swim trunks, Gilbert's ambitions to become Surfer Dude are a bit too big to fit just yet. His adventures might also be a bit too small for a three-chapter beginning reader. Illustrated with average cartoon artwork, this dull title has little child appeal. Dori Chaconas's "Cork and Fuzz" books (Viking) make a bigger splash. Consider Surfer Dude if Gilbert has a following. Neala Arnold, St. Francis Elementary School, MN