When I was young, I really wanted a goat to take care of. I thought they were inquisitive and playful, and would be fun to get to know. We lived on a farm, but my parents didn’t like goats and so it never happened.
Now the current generation of children can be introduced to goats through the new picture book Polly and Her Duck Costume by Leanne Lauricella and illustrated by Jill Howarth.
Although this book may look like a fictional story, as the blurb says, it is “the true story of a little blind rescue goat.” It is part of a new series Lauricella has written to help fund her Goats of Anarchy farm animal rescue.
The story and the illustrations are over-the-top adorable. It is hard not to be charmed by the face of a tiny blind goat peering out of a huge duck costume. The photographs of the little goats in the back matter will melt the toughest heart.
If the book was only about cute, however, I probably wouldn’t mention it. It has another important message. Polly the goat suffers from anxiety. Being wrapped in blankets at first and later the duck costume, helps her cope. Parents and educators who work with children with anxiety might find the book a useful gateway to a discussion about anxiety, weighted blankets, etc. It might also be informative for siblings and classmates.
Polly and Her Duck Costume is a book about a little goat who needed special assistance. Maybe her story will be of some service to readers, as well. Who knows where it might lead?
Age Range: 5 – 6 years
Publisher: Walter Foster Jr (September 12, 2017)
ISBN-10: 163322418X
ISBN-13: 978-1633224186
Public domain photograph via VisualHunt.com
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