Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. The smart (but dirty) goose of the title has perfected the art of camouflage. The other bright-white geese fear the fox on moonlit nights, but the dirty goose walks unafraid. When the others learn the secret, they leap into a muddy pond. As time goes by, the weather grows cold. The little goose finds a clean pond and scrubs its feathers, but it can't convince the others to do the same. Then snow falls, the moon rises, and the fox chases the dirty geese--until the clean goose outfoxes him once and for all. The clever story will hold the attention of young children, but the illustrations are the book's most striking feature. Bold black lines define the forms of the geese, the fox, and the setting, while textured papers, bits of smudgy print, and collage elements enrich the simple compositions. Visually appealing, this provides an excellent early introduction to the concept of camouflage in nature as well as a narrative worth repeat readings. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A clever feathered hero prevails in this sweet picture book about camouflage and common sense. While most of the geese in the gaggle preen and gleam in their white feathers and bright beaks, one goose stands alone, muddying himself in the pond. But what the gaggle hasn't gleaned yet, is that the loner goose's dull, gray appearance is what makes him blend in with the shadows of the night-and permit him to avoid the moonlight chase from the fox. Once the secret is out-and the wise goose pulls another smooth move as winter snow approaches-he's accepted as one of the gang, er, gaggle. Church's (Do Your Ears Hang Low?) tale of quick thinking and acceptance for one's individual merits makes an uplifting outing. In her multimedia scenes, the geese, simply outlined in black with vibrant orange beaks and feet, contrast nicely with the speckled-green, grassy countryside. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Down on the farm, a gaggle of shiny, white geese teases a dirty, little goose. However, when the moon is full, he is the one the fox does not chase because his muddy feathers blend in with the shadows. Soon all the geese begin to bathe in the muddy pond. When winter comes, the dirty goose cleans himself up until he gleams and shines, and the fox doesn't notice him against the snow, enabling the little hero to kick the predator down a hill. The other geese praise his smarts, making him feel part of the gaggle at last. The simple, playful text is full of fun sound effects and repeated phrases. Church also conveys much emotion and feeling through the fluid, bold lines of her cartoon illustrations. Various textured papers as backgrounds help give the images depth. Young children will applaud this endearing tale with its clever and resourceful protagonist. Pair it with Richard Waring's Hungry Hen (HarperCollins, 2001), also illustrated by Church, for a storytime featuring barnyard underdogs.-Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A gaggle of geese tease a smart but lonely goose about having dirty feathers. After he explains that they help him blend into the shadows, rendering him invisible to the rampaging fox, the geese proceed to muddy themselves--with unanticipated results. The tale is swiftly told, and the cartoony images somehow manage to make the lonely goose almost unbearably sympathetic. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Despite low marks for internal logic, this brief tale of a clever goose and a fox on the prowl will draw honks of glee from fans of such similar encounters as Pat Hutchins's classic Rosie's Walk or Mem Fox's Hattie and the Fox (1986). Beneath each full moon, a fox chases (though never seems to catch) all the shiny white geese, but leaves a muddy loner be. Why? Because the mud on his feathers makes him less visible, the loner explains. All of the other geese thereupon hurry over to the muddy pond; but when the weather changes and snow starts to fall, they ignore his advice to wash off the grime, with predictable results. So the brainy bird kicks the fox down the hill, blithely declares that the pest won't be back, earns the adulation of his gagglemates, "and was never lonely again." Even younger audiences are likely to find all of this too easy, but they'll enjoy the tale's brisk action and simply drawn cartoon illustrations. (Picture book. 5-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
