Goose and Duck

George, Jean Craighead. Goose and Duck. Illustrated by Priscilla Lamont. Harper Collins, 2008. 48 pages. $16.99. ISBN 9780061170768.

Summary:

“I found an egg by the lake./ It cracked open in the grass./ A little goose wiggled/ out of the shell.” From this simple beginning, a sweet story emerges of a boy who nurtures not one, but two orphans. First comes little Goose, who follows his “mother” around and mimics him: eating spaghetti together, hopping, etc. Next the two discover a duck egg and Goose becomes his mother! Whatever the boy does, Goose mimics, and whatever Goose does, Duck mimics. One night, under a full moon, Duck and Goose wander outside and are picked up by a friendly policeman who takes them to jail with him. The story has a bittersweet but straightforward ending, when Goose and Duck see other migrating birds and follow them south. “That’s how it is with birds.”

Curriculum Connections:

There is a variety of feelings in this short book that would be great fodder for classroom discussion, as well as other themes such as responsibility for pets, wild animals versus domesticated animals, bird behavior and imprinting, and migration.

Personal Reflections:

I was charmed by Lamont’s watercolor illustrations for this story. They are simple, yet fun and funny, and show a range of emotions on the faces of the characters.

Awards:

ALA Notable Children’s Books for Younger Readers, 2009; School Library Journal Best Books, 2008.

Age/Interest Range:

PreK-8

Genre/Themes:

Friendship, Animals, Migration

Read-Alikes:

Animal and human relationships are a popular theme, yet this one has a bit more realism than some books aimed at this audience. May I Pet Your Dog? (Calmenson) and “Let’s Get a Pup!” Said Kate (Graham) are two picture books that address pet ownership in a realistic way.