Silly Suzy Goose
PreSchool-Grade 1-Suzy Goose looks around and wishes she could be different. The first spread justifies her problem as it is impossible to identify her in the sea of duplicate geese. In those that follow, she visits other animals and samples ways to be different. If I was a giraffe, I could STRETCH up high. If I was an ostrich, I could RUN really fast. Pages of If I was instead of If I were will drive grammar purists crazy, but the scratchy mixed-media illustrations of Suzy trying out each animal's persona and environment make the spreads tactile and pleasurable. When she encounters a lion, she tries a roar (Rroarrhonk!), which enrages him. Using some of the moves picked up along the way, the goose hurries back to the safety of the other geese. The close call convinces her that a group has its advantages, but she continues to stand out with her Rroarrhonk! Animal movements and sounds, along with the large, bright pictures and interesting compositions, make this an attractive choice to share with young audiences.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.