Synopsis
"Best's story will appeal to young nature lovers and to anyone with a soft spot for an underdog . . . Mead's paper-collage illustrations capture the action as well as the glory of the passing seasons." —Starred, School Library Journal
Children's Literature
A young girl and her dog follow closely the development of a goose with one leg, from when the flock arrives in the spring through the summer until September, when they all have gone. The girl thinks about her goose all through the months at school. When the geese return, her goose has acquired a friend and eventually, to the girl's delight, a bunch of goslings. The rather sentimental story is made special by Meade's use of collage to create the geese. Wing and body shapes are boldly painted with feather-like markings, then combined to produce solid, animated fowl. The family members and settings are treated with less detail, keeping our focus on the geese. The book is based on a true story; a photo of the actual one-legged goose appears on the title page. 2002, Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus and Giroux, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz