Winsome mixed-media spreads and vignettes by Ólafsdóttir alternate between the white characters’ cozy interiors and farm scenes, while chapter book–like writing by McBratney (Guess How Much I Love You) develops Austen as a character by witnessing the way he attends to Black-and-Whitey’s needs, prefiguring the way he will attend to Mindi’s. McBratney shows what it’s like to listen authentically to children—and to believe them.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Mindi is terrified of the big goose—composed of shadows—that shows up in her bedroom, and though her dad looks for it and her mom threatens it with wooden spoons, the goose remains…Ólafsdóttir’s gentle-hued art combines watercolors and soft pencil outlines that contribute to the fable feel of the tale, while stretching shadows illustrate how a lamp or a curtain rod can transform into a giant goose in Mindi’s bedroom. Late author McBratney (Guess How Much I Love You) strikes an interesting perspective that could be helpful to viewers with fearsome shadows in their own rooms.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
A loving father and a wise neighbor find a way for Mindi’s invisible goose to depart. . . McBratney’s posthumously published tale is filled with a gentle kindness, and the illustrations pick up on that, both treating the child’s fear with respect. Ólafsdóttir’s country scenes are tidy and filled with sunlight, Austen’s many animals look contented, and a young goat bounces across the endpapers. . . Low-key and reassuring.
—Kirkus Reviews
There’s a sweetness in both the artwork and the concept. . . In text, illustration and design, this spacious and appealing book in itself conveys order and comfort for readers ages 3-7.
—The Wall Street Journal
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