Duckie Goosie Fixes His Roof
Duckie Goosie has a problem: Every time it rains, his roof leaks. Making the wise decision to fix it, he orders all of the supplies and cheerfully sets to work. When the plastic sheets from the new roof tiles blow away, Duckie Goosie is amused at first by the way the sun shines on them as they flutter out of sight. However, when his neighbor Monkey Doggie angrily points out the mess the plastic made when it blew into his own yard, Duckie Goosie’s joy turns to sadness, and he must figure out how to resolve the situation with his neighbor.
The authors of Duckie Goosie Fixes His Roof, Lance Sanders and his four-year-old son Landen Sanders, have crafted a simple and appealing story. The short tale incorporates uncomplicated lessons subtly but effectively, emphasizing problem-solving and illustrating the ways in which certain actions can have unexpected consequences. “Cleaning up Monkey Doggie’s yard was hard work. Duckie Goosie had fun watching the plastic strips fly away, but he did not think about where they all went.” Duckie Goosie learns a little bit about responsibility, even as Monkey Doggie learns about compassion and the importance of being neighborly.
Written in clean, easy to understand sentences, Duckie Goosie Fixes His Roof will likely prove engaging for preschoolers and early readers. The large page numbers help young readers to follow along, enhanced by the addition of charming orange duck footprints leading from one bright-yellow page to the next. The majority of the artwork is generally pleasing, with the unfortunate exception of the character renditions. Both Duckie Goosie and Monkey Doggie are drawn very roughly, outlined in pencil with unbalanced features and lacking the personality needed to draw young readers.
The Sanders’ plans for future Duckie Goosie books, alluded to at the end of the book, would be greatly improved by more skilled renderings of the main characters in order to ensure full reader engagement.
Reviewed by
Jeannine Chartier Hanscom
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
