John Schoenherr (1935–2010)

Age Appropriateness (Primary, Intermediate, Middle School): Primary
Review/Critique: This book talks about the creation of geese and goes through their life cycle up until migration. The mother and father geese build a nest for their family and stay with them until the geese are able to fly away themselves. This book fits realistic fiction because it is accurate scientifically. The book follows the same life cycle and pattern as a real geese would.
Comments on Use: As a teacher, you could use this book in your classroom as a fun way to talk about life cycles or if you have a unit on birds. Personally, I found the book boring and probably would not use the book in my classroom.
Medium: Watercolor… (more)

Summary: This book is about a mother goose and a father goose and their adventure raising a family of baby goslings, one of which is more adventurous than the others. The story then focuses on him with the pictures but narrates that mother, father, and babies with words at the same time.
Critique: This book makes a good realistic fiction because the author is able to make the geese family come to life without giving them human characteristics like a fantasy book would. Instead, the animals behave exactly as someone would expect animals to behave but still in a fictional way since the author has no way of telling this as a true story he was a part of.… (more)