A gentle tale of unconditional love told over eight spreads. Mrs Goose cares for the egg that she finds, keeping it safe and warm until out comes a little yellow baby that she looks after as it grows into an untidy brown bird, that never behaves like a goose but is loved all the same. Clues to the baby’s origins and Mrs Goose’s mistake are apparent from the very first spread where a chicken roams in the background. More and more clues to the baby’s true species build up until, by the fifth spread, children will be yelling at Mrs. Goose that she’s mothering a chicken. But then the story takes a twist as it ceases to be about mistaken identity and is instead about a mother loving and caring for her adopted baby no matter what.

Charlotte Voake’s charming and delicately coloured pen and ink illustrations, reminiscent of the Edward Ardizzone’s work (particularly in the final spread where shadows are drawn in cross hatch), capture the personality of mother and baby, whilst the other farmyard birds appear serenely vacant.

Speech bubbles contain the ‘cheep’ and ‘honk’ dialogue between the pair. Their voices are further enhanced by the use of hand rendered type to convey meaning, such as the large and loud ‘HONK!’ that Mrs.Goose uses to protect her baby from a barking dog.

This story would be a good conversation starter about the importance of nurture and so would be particularly relevant to children who are caring for pets.

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2008-05-24