Duck & Goose, a Gift for Goose

November 1, 2018
Preschool-G The endearing characters who first appeared in Hills' picture book Duck & Goose (2006), and later in other titles for young children, return in a beginning-reader book from the Step into Reading series. Duck has a gift for his friend Goose and puts it into a box, which he paints with red, blue, and yellow stripes. He watches the paint dry, adds a card and a bow, and presents it to his friend. Excited to receive a striped box as a present, Goose runs off to get his treasures to put inside. Misunderstood and deflated, Duck waits. When Goose returns, Duck explains the gift is inside the striped box. Opening it, Goose finds exactly what he needs. Simple, colorful paintings underscore the story's gentle humor, which lies in the birds' expressions and the final surprise. Any child who struggles with reading will appreciate the large font, short words, and brief sentences of the text, but the familiar characters make this a particularly good choice for kids who get an early start on learning to read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)