Little Apple Goat

Little Apple Goat is ordinary in every way -- except for one. Instead of munching on oats or grass or laundry left on the line, she prefers to eat fruit from the orchard.

But one stormy night, all of the fruit trees in the orchard are destroyed. The trunks are chopped down and the land is cleared. The farm animals cannot imagine life without the orchard, and Little Apple Goat doesn't know how she will manage without her fruit.

But time passes, and something mysterious begins to happen on the farm . . .

Sweet, colorful illustrations bring to life this clever tale that will charm young readers and also introduce them to the changing seasons.

Publishers Weekly

In this wisp of a tale, the cutie-pie protagonist is "ordinary in every way"-with one major exception: while other goats are content to chomp on garbage and clothes, she loves anything that grows in an orchard. Then, having chowed down on apples, pears and cherries, she does what readers probably wish they could do, if it weren't for the constraints of polite society: she simply spits out the pits and seeds-"Plippety plip!" -as she trots back to the barn. Little Apple Goat doesn't think twice about the long-term impact of her actions until a storm destroys her beloved fruit trees, and all the seeds and pits she's been unintentionally planting create a brand-new orchard every bit as fecund and pretty as its predecessor. Church's (One Smart Goose) cartoon animals and cheery rural scenes, rendered in boldly outlined collages and watercolors, exude a happy, toy-like charm. But kids may be bothered by the way time passes-it takes years for the orchard to establish itself, and Little Apple Goat is still the same spunky kid she was in the opening pages. Ages 3-7. (Sept.)