Once Upon a Goat
by Dan Richards
illustrated by Eric Barclay
Date: 2019
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library
A twisted fairy tale about a king and queen who wish for a child of their own... and end up with a baby goat. Perfect for readers of Children Make Terrible Pets and Wolfie the Bunny.
Once upon a time, a very prim and proper king and queen begged their fairy godmother for a child. They'd prefer a boy, with glowing skin, bright eyes, and two roses for lips... but any kid will do. When they find themselves gifted with a baby goat (also known as a kid) instead, they can't imagine how he'll fit into their lives. But of course, it isn't long before he's part of the royal family.
Readers will delight in this story's hilarity, confusion, and celebration of families that come in every shape and size.
(synopsis from Goodreads)
This is a rather silly story about a king and queen who wish for a child ("Yes, but where would we put it?" asked the king. "Next to the vase on the hearth, naturally," replied the queen.) and end up getting much more than they bargained for when their fairy godmother leaves a literal kid on their doorstep. Things are a bit rough at first, but eventually the pair come to love their adopted hircine child. So when it's revealed that an even bigger mistake has been made, the royal couple has to make a decision about their family.
The plot is ridiculous, but also pretty funny. The clueless king and queen are endearing in their own way, even though they're a bit befuddled and frustrated with the new addition to their family. I quite like the illustrations, even though they're very simple; they're appealing and colourful, and the goat is pretty cute.
Overall, this is fun fairy tale about family, and how blood isn't everything when it comes to bonding and love.
Quotable moment:
Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Overall: 3.67 out of 5
No comments:
Post a Comment