Once Upon a Goat

by Dan Richards, Eric Barclay (Illustrator)

Overview

A twisted fairy tale about a king and queen who wish for a child of their own . . . and end up with a baby goat. Perfect for readers of Children Make Terrible Pets and Wolfie the Bunny.

"A funny and redemptive fairy tale."—The Wall Street Journal

Once upon a time, a very prim and proper king and queen begged their fairy godmother for a child. They'd prefer a boy, with glowing skin, bright eyes, and two roses for lips . . . but any kid will do. When they find themselves gifted with a baby goat (also known as a kid) instead, they can't imagine how he'll fit into their lives. But of course, it isn't long before he's part of the royal family.

Readers will delight in this story's hilarity, confusion, and celebration of families that come in every shape and size.

"A fresh, amusing, kindhearted picture book."—Booklist, Starred review
"With its gentle morals of acceptance, not judging by appearances, and being open to outcomes different than expectations, this is a lovely family read-aloud."—Kirkus
"The contrast between the royal couple's once-ordered existence and the cheerful mess at book's end is very funny, and the message about acceptance and the expanded definition of family is a bonus."—Horn Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781524773748
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	08/27/2019
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	655,323
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	AD510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Dan Richards is a graduate of the University of Washington's Writing for Children Program, where he wrote his debut picture book, The Problem with NOT Being Scared of Monsters (Boyds Mills Press). He is also the author of Can One Balloon Make an Elephant Fly? (Simon & Schuster).

Dan loves telling stories and talking about the craft of writing. School visits make him happy. He lives with his family in Bothell, WA. Learn more about Dan at danrichardsbooks.com or on Twitter at @author_dan.

Eric Barclay is an illustrator, designer, and the author of I Can See Just Fine (Abrams), Hiding Phil (Scholastic), and Counting Dogs (Scholastic). Classic cartoons, modern art, mid-century design, and everyday mishaps heavily influence his style. He's had the privilege of illustrating for Abrams, American Greetings, Disneyland Paris, Hallmark, Highlights magazine, Friend magazine, Scholastic, Westin Kids Club, Papyrus, and many others. He lives in Texas with his wife, two daughters, a dog, and two cats. Learn more about Eric and his work at EricBarclay.com or on Twitter at @EricBarclay.

Editorial Reviews

06/03/2019

Two monarchs who wish to become parents receive an unexpected happily- ever-after in this story by Richards (Penny and Penelope). After the privileged couple requests a “kid” from their fairy godmother, they receive a baby goat. The pair tries to look on the bright side (“We won’t need to change its diapers”), but their unruly charge sows chaos, as captured in amusing, not-quite-medieval pencil, watercolor, and acrylic illustrations by Barclay (Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep). The goat’s insatiable appetite—even the book’s first page has a bite taken out of it—is the last straw, and after the beast consumes the royal rosebushes, they send it away, until seeing it in a rainstorm causes a change of heart. When the fairy godmother checks in months later, she’s bewildered: “You must be joking,” she declares, realizing her mistake. Her visit to a goat family reveals a naked cherub among them, but no one seems happy when the fairy proposes a simple switcheroo. Luckily, there’s an alternative, and what might have been “be careful what you wish for” turns into a more inclusive takeaway about family and its many forms. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"A fresh, amusing, kindhearted picture book."—Booklist, starred review

 "A funny and redemptive fairy tale." —Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher

2019-04-28
A picture-book fable featuring a king, a queen, a fairy godmother, and…a goat?

In this sweet and playful fable, a royal couple wishes hopefully for a child. While they claim "we're not particular," they also present their fairy godmother with a wish list that their child have "glowing skin, bright eyes, and hair like ocean waves" and preferably be a boy, "but any kid will do." She gets to work, and on the next full moon the king and queen receive the answer to their wishes—but it's a goat and not the perfect human boy they were expecting. Disappointment turns to despair before despair turns to delight as this unusual trio becomes a loving and happy family. When they are ultimately given the opportunity to correct the "misunderstanding" and swap their beloved goat for a human child, the royal parents arrive at a creative solution. The smoothly paced illustrations are nicely varied among vignettes, full pages, and double-page spreads. The artwork is rich with traditional fairy-tale motifs, and the austere lines of the palace contrast amusingly with the chaos brought by the goat child. While it has a small cast of human and humanoid characters, all of them present white.

With its gentle morals of acceptance, not judging by appearances, and being open to outcomes different than expectations, this is a lovely family read-aloud. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews