NANCY, THE LITTLE GOSLING

Tharlet’s illustrations outshine her text in this gentle but rather flat story of an unconventional gosling who pursues her own dream. Nancy, an unenthusiastic student when it comes to waddling, flying, and swimming, worries about being different. She prefers to study butterflies and is easily distracted from her lessons whenever she sees one. Determined to observe a particularly beautiful butterfly, Nancy invents a new way to cross the water—surfing on a lily pad, a discovery she shares with her amazed classmates. The last page drives home the lesson that everyone has something unique and special to contribute. A patient teacher, encouraging mother, and nonjudgmental classmates make up the supporting cast. Tharlet creates soft backdrops of watery blues and greens for the appealingly goofy Nancy and the other goslings, extending her story to the endpapers. Upbeat and mildly entertaining, but without dramatic tension, providing the reader with a resolution that is more pat than satisfying. (Picture book. 4-7)