Goose

Molly Bang has awesome talent, and she has used it to produce this wonderful little book. It's the story of a goose egg that is blown out of it's nest into the den of a family woodchucks. The woodchucks, of course, could care less where the goose came from. She is in their lives and they love her. Problem is that as Goose approaches maturity she feels that something is missing. So eventually she goes in search of herself. While this story pertains to adoption, in a sense it could easily apply to anyone (any teenager or child or adult) who feels they have not found their niche or place in the world. Goose eventually returns, by the way, to the bosom of her family after she has found her own wings. Four Stars. [B+] Good Read-aloud. Nice artwork. This book would be good for Toddlers on up, though it might take years before they truly understand the theme. "Goose" managed to remind me (an adult-like mom) that we don't all come out in one mold. That we each have our struggles to overcome.

This is a wonderful story about a goose how is taken in (adopted) by a family of woodchucks who treat her as one of their own. They teach her all they know and love and adore her. The fact is though, Goose is different and has to go off to find that missing part. This story was written for Molly Bangs daughter (who was adopted from Bangladesh) when she was having a "terrible time getting used to her first year in college." It was not originally intended to be a book, but with her daughter's encouragement, Bang published it. I thank her for doing so, because this is a wonderful book.

While the age range indicated on the entry here indicates 4-7 years, the story and art had a huge impact on my two year old. On a more adult level it reminded us that no matter how much we teach them, children may have to leave home to learn the most important things about themselves.

This book is perfect for helping a child or even a frustrated/disillusioned adult learn to be hopeful and confident about him/herself and the unforeseen possibilities for the future. The paintings are filled with expressiveness and a mystical quality. Spare words let the essence of the message sing.

I came across this book in a store. I was totally charmed by the depth and charm of the illustrations and moved by the tale itself. This is a wonderful book for age 6 and up. Larry