Duck & Goose: A Gift for Goose by Tad Hills

Cover of A Gift for Goose
by Tad Hills

Duck has a gift for Goose! He plops it into a box, then proceeds to decorate the box with paint, ribbon, and a handwritten card. But silly Goose, upon receiving the package, believes the box itself is the gift. A few pages proceed during which Goose is full of excitement at how wonderful the box is, while Duck quietly attempts to interject with the information the reader already knows: the gift is inside the box! Goose runs off to get his special things, and returns with wings full of crayons, hats, and yarn to put into his new box. Duck finally finds the moment to explain that the box is, in fact, not Duck’s gift. The next page turn is priceless, revealing Goose’s sad dismay as he misunderstands.

Image from A Gift for Goose by Tad Hills

The misunderstanding is quickly cleared, however, and Goose discovers the real gift: a box for his special things!

A Gift for Goose has all the trappings of a quality beginning reader: large font set against ample white space, simple sentences that are contained on the page spread, and repetition of key words. The bright, uncluttered illustrations clearly reflect the text, giving young readers plenty of clues to help them decipher the text.

The plot is simple, but effectively strikes an emotional chord that will resonate with many children. One friend does something for the other, there is a misunderstanding followed by some brief hurt feelings, then all is resolved. The pacing pulls the reader through the story as they anticipate the moment when Goose will finally figure out that the box is not the gift. The joke is well-delivered, and following the image of Goose’s misunderstanding as it does, delivers a quick jolt of humor at the perfect moment.

All in all, Duck & Goose: A Gift for Goose is a solid contender for this year’s Geisel Award. Will the committee agree? What do you think?