Gossie

About the Book

In this small book which has only a few words per page, an endearing little gosling named Gossie loves her bright red boots. The rhythmic narrative tells us that she especially likes to walk in them: “She walks backward./She walks forward./She walks uphill./She walks downhill.” And so on until the day Gossie wakes up to find her boots are missing. Who knew a few lines and a few bright colors could convey such baffled and heartbroken gosling? Luckily the mystery is solved when she finds Gertie, a smaller gosling, wearing the boots. Gossie kindly decides to share. Simple pictures with excellent use of white space create a great character and her adventure.

Why this Book?

I shake my head at people who think creating such a seemingly simple book is actually simple to do. This is a work of art. Gossie is immensely likeable, the ink-and-watercolor pictures are clean and effective, and the pace is flawless. The story has joy, confusion, heartbreak, and finally joy again–in fewer than 175 words. For those of you looking for young role models in books, Gossie is kind and generous. As a result, she ends up with a good friendship that’s continued in Gossie and Gertie and other books in the “Gossie and Friends” series. The book is 6″x6″, a nice size for small hands.