Silly Suzy Goose

While many children's stories illustrate the importance of being yourself, Silly Suzy Goose offers a unique spin on this popular theme. Suzy decides it's boring to be just like all the other geese, and she imagines what fun it would be if she were a sliding penguin, a stretchy giraffe, a jumpy kangaroo a swimmy seal. But then, carried away by her vicarious adventures, she roars at a real lion--and he doesn't like it at all. Suddenly Suzy is using her newly learned skills to slide, stretch, jump, and swim to safety. Back home, where she hides from the lion by blending in among the other geese, Suzy can't resist a last, leonine roar. Czech author and illustrator Petr Horacek uses a variety of painting techniques to highlight the differences between simple, silly Suzy and the bold, colorful animals she tries to copy. Especially effective is a close-up of the napping lion's face, one eye opening ominously as Suzy's brash roar wakes him. Preschoolers busy exploring their own sense of self will love Suzy and laugh at her antics. Read-aloud parents will appreciate the story's subtle affirmation that both individuality and conformity have their place in life. Suzy Goose may be silly herself, but her story is witty and clever.

My daughter and I enjoy this book. It is simple and fun, and I love the beautiful illustrations, saturated with color. It's great that you have to turn book sideways to show the giraffe. We often read it several times in a row, going back to look at the different animals. I'm a grammar freak usually, but I didn't even notice the "was" thing. It's not a big deal to me, and didn't get on my nerves.

My toddler loves this book and asks me to read it nearly every day. The illustrations are beautifully done, it is so vibrant and colorful; the story is perfect for toddler/preschool ages as it is not too wordy and introduces them to different animals and their movements. It's a lot of fun to read aloud!

A little goose wants to be different than all the other geese, so she imagines becoming an array of different animals. When she tries to roar like a lion, she offends the lion and scurries back to her flock. She learns that it is not so bad to be part of a group, and she maintains her own unique qualities (her Rroarrhonk sound). Little kids love participating in this silly, interactive read aloud. To find this book and other cool short book club recommendations, [...].