Goose's Story

My 7-year-old daughter loves this book! She read it at her school's library and I surprised her with a copy of her own. Beautiful artwork.

Cari Best is my favorite children's book author. My daughter is two and she loves Best's stories. Goose's story is a wonderful tale about love, friendship, family, animals, and trust. Best writes wonderfully, and the words are beautiful time after time.

"Henry hears the honking first. He circles the pond, around and a half, sending up splashes of warm spring mud all over his winter coat. Henry knows the geese are coming. And then I know it, too..." This is the best time of year for our young narrator, as the Canada geese arrive back at her family's pond, each spring. But this year she notices one of the geese has a badly injured foot, and when she visits the pond the next day, the goose's foot is gone. There she stands all alone, separated from the rest of the flock. The other geese have shunned her. "I never thought geese could be so mean." The little girl wants to take care of the poor footless goose, feed her, pet her, be her friend, but her mother and father warn her not to. "A wild goose has to learn to live with her weakness. Or she won't live at all." As the summer slides towards autumn, the little girl notices that the goose has grown stronger and more capable. It can balance and hobble on its stump, search for food, and swim. But she still worries that the goose won't be strong enough to push off and fly south for the winter, and will be left behind to die. And then one day when she comes home from school, all the geese are gone, and so is her little crippled friend. The winter months pass and the girl thinks often of the goose, and then one spring day, soon after she spots the first robin, she hears the familiar honking. "They land together. A couple of geese. Honking and flapping. Drinking and bathing. Combing each other's feathers. One is larger than the other, his neck as thick as a fire hose when he stretches it out to protect her-the goose with one foot..." Inspired by an actual event, Cari Best's touching and captivating story, as seen through the eyes of a grade school girl, is filled with drama, courage, determination, and triumph. Her engaging and evocative text is complemented by Holly Meade's bold and vibrant paper collage illustrations, that bring the wonders and wildness of nature to life. And together, word and art paint a vivid, empathetic, and uplifting portrait of an unlikely and endearing heroine. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Goose's Story is a heartwarming tale of nature and survival, and is definitely one of the best new picture books of 2002.