At the edge of a lake amongst reeds and lake grasses, a mother goose perches upon an unusually large clutch of eggs, a full dozen, while a protective father guards the nest. Over the course of two days each egg hatches excepting one. Hoping for a miracle Momma goose snuggles against her last egg until finally Grady, the last of twelve goslings, is born.

Denise Brennan-Nelson's tale of Grady the Goose delivers a gentle story of the development of a young Canada goose from birth to migration. Grady’s life -- and that of her parents – is complicated by her tendency to stray from her family and wander off on her own. Drawing upon the grouping instincts of Canada geese Brennan-Nelson weaves a gentle thread of family togetherness through the various stages of Grady’s growth and maturation.

Despite repeated warnings from her mother and father to stay with the family, Grady’s penchant for independent exploration finds her separated from the family flock following their departure for their winter-feeding grounds. My daughter’s spike of anxiety for Grady’s well-being was resolved within a matter of minutes as Grady is discovered by a kind farmer and finds herself re-united with her loved ones, now keenly aware of the importance of familial solidarity.

Some sensitive young children experience distress when confronted with tales of familial separation, and my oldest was such a child between the ages of three and four. At six however, the gentle tension presenting the story is manageable for her. My middle child, now three, experiences no anxiety with such stories. Parents who have noticed this tendency in their own children will need to judge from their child’s previous reactions if this story is appropriate.

Here in Canada, Grady’s adventures are a perfect bi-annual family read-aloud for spring and fall, when the skies are peppered with migrating geese, and mated pairs can be found in lakes and fields across the nation. Readers in southern climes will be privy to the stages of goose life that take place before geese arrive in their areas in late fall. The growth, natural habitat, and some of the social interactions of geese will be naturally conveyed through the lilting and casual prose.

Article Author: Jennifer Bogart

Jennifer Bogart is a born again child of God, wife and mother to three (so far). Living in rural Alberta, Canada, she relies upon her blog for creative expression and is busy developing multi-sensory homeschooling supplements at Bogart Family Resources. …

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