What do you think?
Goose and Duck
Whatever I did, Goose did.
Whatever Goose did, Duck did.
When I sat down, Goose sat down.
Duck sat down too.
What's a little boy to do when a goose and a duck think that he's their mother? Especially when they follow him around, doing everything he does!
Newbery Medal winner Jean Craighead George's comic story and Priscilla Lamont's lively art make for a silly tale about boys, geese, ducks, and the rhythms of nature.
Whatever Goose did, Duck did.
When I sat down, Goose sat down.
Duck sat down too.
What's a little boy to do when a goose and a duck think that he's their mother? Especially when they follow him around, doing everything he does!
Newbery Medal winner Jean Craighead George's comic story and Priscilla Lamont's lively art make for a silly tale about boys, geese, ducks, and the rhythms of nature.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Jean Craighead George
194 books1,623 followersJean Craighead George wrote over eighty popular books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery Honor book My Side of the Mountain. Most of her books deal with topics related to the environment and the natural world. While she mostly wrote children's fiction, she also wrote at least two guides to cooking with wild foods, and an autobiography, Journey Inward.
The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."
The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 1, 2018
A beginning reader for those starting out. It is a sweet story about a boy who sees a goose hatch and it thinks he's it's mother. The goose sees a duck hutch and it thinks the goose is it's mother. So the boy is followed by these two everywhere.
It is well told and a little funny.
It is well told and a little funny.
October 19, 2014
George, J. C. (2008). Goose and Duck. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
I Can Read
2009 ALA Notable Children’s Book
This is a story about a boy who finds a baby goose that imprints upon him, and then he and his goose find a baby duck that imprints upon the goose. Together the three of them become the best of friends. Until one day when the goose realizes he is a goose, and the duck realizes she is a duck, and they join their species leaving the boy behind. This story is an excellent book for 1st or 2nd graders who are still learning to read but are able to read independently because the story is engaging but still predictable and repetitive. The watercolor pictures support the text well and will help developing readers decode the text. I think that this story would make an excellent choice for independent reading for younger students. In addition, this story could be used to integrate literature with science instruction because it teaches the readers about imprinting and bird migration patterns. It could be used to introduce those ideas and then through class discussion the teacher could provide students with the specific science vocabulary that is not included in the text.
I Can Read
2009 ALA Notable Children’s Book
This is a story about a boy who finds a baby goose that imprints upon him, and then he and his goose find a baby duck that imprints upon the goose. Together the three of them become the best of friends. Until one day when the goose realizes he is a goose, and the duck realizes she is a duck, and they join their species leaving the boy behind. This story is an excellent book for 1st or 2nd graders who are still learning to read but are able to read independently because the story is engaging but still predictable and repetitive. The watercolor pictures support the text well and will help developing readers decode the text. I think that this story would make an excellent choice for independent reading for younger students. In addition, this story could be used to integrate literature with science instruction because it teaches the readers about imprinting and bird migration patterns. It could be used to introduce those ideas and then through class discussion the teacher could provide students with the specific science vocabulary that is not included in the text.
March 19, 2008
Sweet, gentle easy reader about a goose that imprints on a boy and a duck that imprints on the goose. The three play a sort of "follow the leader" until fall, when the two birds suddenly "know who they are" and fly south.
September 8, 2013
I picked this book up from the library last week and had Xander read it to me tonight. Lots of repeating text, and the pictures could be used to figure out unknown words. I had to explain to Xander how to reads the word station,neighbor and captain.
March 28, 2008
Cute book for first grade readers.
April 14, 2009
As far as "I Can Read" books I enjoyed this one. A boy finds an egg and a goose hatches and thinks the boy is his mother. Lots of repetative phrases.
July 28, 2009
Goose and Duck is a better than average easy reader. There is lots of repitition,yet the story is engaging.
July 3, 2010
Goose and Duck (I Can Read Book 2) by Jean Craighead George (2008)
December 27, 2012
Funny, engaging early reader that makes learning to read easy! Plenty of great plot, plenty of words for little minds to decipher.
Booklegger K/1
Booklegger K/1
June 27, 2013
Simple book. Good book to use for helping younger readers and non-readers predict what will happen next.
A.R. Book
B.L. 2.3
Quiz # 120421
A.R. Book
B.L. 2.3
Quiz # 120421
October 10, 2013
Out of all the books I picked from the AlA list this by far was the best book. I have been reading and this book is a classic picture book.
September 14, 2014
It's a cute story, but not very engaging. It is possible to be repetitive and insert humor or at least interest in the story.
October 21, 2014
super cute and silly.
February 16, 2015
A really sweet story of a boy and his goose and duck. Just antes the magic of My Side of the Mountain and that was too much to expect from an early reader book.
May 5, 2015
I chose this book because it should be an easy read for first graders and it is a cute story.
August 25, 2017
I'm not sure it required Jean Craighead George to come up with this. Illustrations are the cartoonish dots-for-eyes style that is everywhere.
June 25, 2021
Whatever I did, Goose did.
Whatever Goose did, Duck did.
When I sat down, Goose sat down.
Duck sat down too.
What's a little boy to do when a goose and a duck think that he's their mother? Especially when they follow him around, doing everything he does!
Newbery Medal winner Jean Craighead George's comic story and Priscilla Lamont's lively art make for a silly tale about boys, geese, ducks, and the rhythms of nature.
Whatever Goose did, Duck did.
When I sat down, Goose sat down.
Duck sat down too.
What's a little boy to do when a goose and a duck think that he's their mother? Especially when they follow him around, doing everything he does!
Newbery Medal winner Jean Craighead George's comic story and Priscilla Lamont's lively art make for a silly tale about boys, geese, ducks, and the rhythms of nature.
August 12, 2023
A cute early reader. A boy finds a goose egg and when it hatches, the goose imprints on the boy. Then he finds a duck egg, and when it hatches the duck imprints on the goose. The birds imitating him allows for the traditional repetition of an early reader book. They do manage to have a mild adventure before the goose and duck mature to adulthood and fly off with their flocks.
August 4, 2025
Found in School Starter Kit: Library Edition
May 21, 2026
Cute story-reminiscent of Fly Away Home 90s movie. Simple, soft, Tea said she liked it. (Also, great author of elementary children's books!)
June 6, 2018
This is a very simple book but it brings up the idea of imprinting and migration. I think this could be the start of a fun lesson for young students.
March 25, 2009
ALA ALSC Notable 2009
April 9, 2014
Notes:
cute, but not as memorable as Rylant's books in this format
cute, but not as memorable as Rylant's books in this format
Read
February 21, 2015All by herself!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews