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Goose And The Mountain Lion
The other animals in the barn suspect a mountain lion of stealing Goose's eggs, but when they stand guard, the eggs keep disappearing anyway
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 21, 2025
Having enjoyed the illustrations of Jim Harris in
The Tortoise And The Jackrabbit
, I looked forward to seeing his artwork in this title about a very upset goose. Harris’s ability to portray animals with personalities is why he’s one of my favorite children’s book illustrators and this book continued that success.
A group of animals hang out in a local barn, including a goat, a burro, an ox and a little pack rat. The head matriarch, though, is a well-liked goose who has laid four eggs and is eagerly awaiting their hatching.
But each morning she wakes up to find an egg missing. Although her fellow animals help with guarding the nest overnight, nothing seems to help. They all simply point the finger at one outsider, who happens to be the local mountain lion. Is he guilty? The reader will soon discover the true culprit.
Once again, I enjoyed the illustrations with a twang of the Old West throughout each page. Children will enjoy the book for the characters while adults will enjoy the lessons to be taught to their young charges. There’s also an introduction which explains how ranchers in the United States West still use geese to protect their livestock! That’s right, along with saving ancient Rome, geese have also secured many a lonesome homestead west of the Rockies. However, author Marian Harris also points out that mountain lions are becoming endangered in America, so don’t be too quick to point an accusing finger.
Book Season = Summer (cottonwood barns)
A group of animals hang out in a local barn, including a goat, a burro, an ox and a little pack rat. The head matriarch, though, is a well-liked goose who has laid four eggs and is eagerly awaiting their hatching.
But each morning she wakes up to find an egg missing. Although her fellow animals help with guarding the nest overnight, nothing seems to help. They all simply point the finger at one outsider, who happens to be the local mountain lion. Is he guilty? The reader will soon discover the true culprit.
Once again, I enjoyed the illustrations with a twang of the Old West throughout each page. Children will enjoy the book for the characters while adults will enjoy the lessons to be taught to their young charges. There’s also an introduction which explains how ranchers in the United States West still use geese to protect their livestock! That’s right, along with saving ancient Rome, geese have also secured many a lonesome homestead west of the Rockies. However, author Marian Harris also points out that mountain lions are becoming endangered in America, so don’t be too quick to point an accusing finger.
Book Season = Summer (cottonwood barns)
April 7, 2019
I picked this book because of the illustrations. They are great! It turned out to be a cute story about a goose "loosing eggs". The illustrations solve the mystery, but the text does not. Darn pack rat! The mountain lion gets blamed for everything.
September 27, 2013
Solid 3.5 for my rating system. I think it is an interesting premise. My goals as a Pro/AM Photographer is to photograph a Cougar in the wild. I will have to go on a Outfitter trip, and instead of killing it, taking pictures of it!
But it makes perfect sense that a Goose would scare away a Cougar who is looking for some fresh Goose Eggs. This is a good book. Liked it.
I would guess my favorite part of the book is the illustration where the Cougar looks menacing, and feral, and mean and realistic, and then the goose comes a squawking and the illustrator make the cougar look like a cartoon like, 'scardy cat!' cougar. Roughly based on real events.
In Colorado in the pioneer days, that is what rancher did to keep Cougars from eating their cows was to have a goose in the field. The Cougars weren't scared of the what would seem like menacing animals
But it makes perfect sense that a Goose would scare away a Cougar who is looking for some fresh Goose Eggs. This is a good book. Liked it.
I would guess my favorite part of the book is the illustration where the Cougar looks menacing, and feral, and mean and realistic, and then the goose comes a squawking and the illustrator make the cougar look like a cartoon like, 'scardy cat!' cougar. Roughly based on real events.
In Colorado in the pioneer days, that is what rancher did to keep Cougars from eating their cows was to have a goose in the field. The Cougars weren't scared of the what would seem like menacing animals
February 12, 2017
Never doubt the courage of an angry mother! Love the packrat. Love the art.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews