Just You and Me

McBratney, Sam

ISBN 10: 0763604364 / ISBN 13: 9780763604363

Published by Candlewick, 1998

Seller Inventory # 0763604364-4-35426083

Synopsis:

While searching high and low for a place to keep dry after a storm suddenly appears, Big Gander Goose tells Little Goosey to hide in one of the small nooks, but Little Goosey only wants to hide with Big Gander Goose and so refuses to leave his side.

Reviews: PreSchool-KAA storm is approaching and Big Gander Goose and Little Goosey need somewhere to hide. Each place they find is already occupied by another animal and though they are asked in, Little Goosey whispers, "I don't want anybody else when the thunder comes. Just me and you." With quiet understanding, the adult goose declines each invitation and the two birds eventually nestle together under a bush. What is most important in this repetitive story is the connection between Big Gander Goose and Little Goosey. It speaks to a small child's desire for exclusiveness with a parent or caregiver. The watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations support this connection, often showing Little Goosey peeking from behind the gander or snuggled up to his breast or against his outstretched wing. A comforting story to share at bedtime.AKaren James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

McBratney and Bates (The Dark at the Top of the Stairs) sets another snuggly mood in this tale of a gosling and gander searching for shelter from a storm. When rain threatens, Gander Goose and Little Goosey hurry to find a place to hide. But each potential shelter already hosts an inhabitant?a mouse, a squirrel or a rabbit?and Little Goosey doesn't want anybody else around "when the thunder comes. Just me and you." In a comic twist, the pair finally settles into a secluded spot, only to discover, after the storm, that all the others had joined them anyway. McBratney's serene prose is as warm as a sheltering embrace, and he has a gift for zeroing in on childhood's universal longings. His audience will quickly see themselves reflected in Little Goosey's need to have Gander Goose all to herself. In a series of pastoral scenes rendered in watercolor and colored pencil and laced with gentle humor, Bates echoes the story's quiet tone and deftly outlines the affectionate relationship between the gander and his little charge. Small panel vignettes and inset portraits alternate with full-page artwork, lending additional drama and fluidity to the story, as well as a great deal of visual appeal. This pair of seasoned collaborators has delivered a winning return engagement. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Just You and Me
Publisher: Candlewick
Publication Date: 1998
Binding: hardcover
Illustrator: Bates, Ivan
Condition: Fair