Billy and Goat at the State Fair

April 13, 2015
How can best friends be so different? Billy, a farm boy, is methodical and mild-mannered; Goat, a goat, is boisterous and a little impulsive. As Yaccarino (Doug Unplugged) writes, “Billy liked reading adventure stories, but Goat was always looking for real-life adventures.” Their relationship works just fine until they decide to enter the “best goat” competition at the State Fair. Could this be the opportunity for Goat to learn to curb his enthusiasm, while Billy loosens up a bit? Yaccarino doesn’t push his life lessons too hard, and his brightly colored, boldly graphic pictures are well suited to capturing the excitement and, in Billy’s case, sensory overload of a big, sprawling event (he uses a dotted line to trace their path past rides and games to reach the livestock tent). But while there are many sharp-looking vignettes (Billy spends the middle of the book chasing after Goat, who always manages to be wherever the boy isn’t looking), the characters’ personalities aren’t vivid enough to make up for a perfunctory story about mismatched but well-matched friends. Ages 3–7 Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.

April 15, 2015
A shy lad and his horned, adventurous best buddy take in the state fair. The lights! The rides! The corn dogs! Though Billy prefers reading about adventures rather than having them, as his caprine friend does, news of a best-goat competition prompts him to buff up his buddy and tackle the big, bright, noisy state fair. Goat promptly chews his way loose-and from there, it's on to the log plunge and the tractor pull, a yodeling contest, corn dogs and floral displays (goat happily chows down on both), and even a ride on a float. Yaccarino portrays it all in flat, brightly colored scenes featuring a young farmer in overalls who goes from anxious to exuberant as he catches up with his eager companion and gets into the swing of things. In the end they miss the livestock competition, but before riding away in the back of a pickup beneath a sky filled with fireworks, they do come in "third (and fourth)" in the pie-eating contest. No matter: "Billy already knew who the best goat really was." As in Donald Crews' Night at the Fair (1998) (and unlike Ted Lewin's more frenetic Fair!, 1997), the crowds and carnival atmosphere come off as inviting rather than overwhelming. Billy's experience may encourage young children who share his attitude toward new adventures to screw their courage to the sticking place. (Picture book. 5-7)

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June 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-Billy (a boy) and Goat (a goat) are great friends and enjoy spending time together, though they do things very differently. The boy is content to read about adventure but Goat wants to live it. Billy likes the fragrance of flowers but Goat likes the taste. They both get excited about attending the upcoming state fair where Billy can enter his pal in the "Best-Goat Competition." On the big day, Goat finds the noise and the crowd thrilling but Billy is a bit overwhelmed by it all. While the goat takes full advantage of all there is to see and do at the fair, Billy spends most of his time trying to find his friend, until he realizes that he's actually enjoying himself. The competition doesn't end the way they would have liked, but they both have a great day and the boy has more confidence after his experiences. The artwork, created with brush and ink and Adobe Photoshop, contains bright, bold colors and varies from vignettes to spreads. VERDICT A fine introduction to state or county fairs for young children.-Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
Preschool-G This good-natured picture book introduces Billy and his pet goat, Goat. Billy is steady but timid, while Goat seeks adventure and fun. When they see a poster announcing the state fair, Billy plans to enter his pal in the best-goat contest. Goat, however, runs through the fair, rides the rides, and gobbles a lot of bad food. It's all Billy can do to get up the courage to find himand when he does, Goat is riding the biggest float in the fair parade. There's nothing to do but join him and then enjoy all the fair has to offer. By then, it's too late to enter the contest. But that's okay. Billy knows who is the best goat, even without a ribbon to prove it. Yaccarino brings all this amusingly to life in brush, ink, and digital illustrations that feature bright, crisp colors and such graphic elements as mazes and maps. But even with all the bells and whistles, it's the sweet relationship between Billy and Goat that is the heart of the story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)