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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Suzy Goose and the Christmas Star, written and illustrated by Petr Horacek. Candlewick, Random House, 2009.$19.00 ages 3 and up

"She saw a fence.
She climbed to the top,
stretched up
very, very high,
and
jumped.

But it was not quite
high enough.

Splat!"

Were it not for Suzy and her determination to get the job done, there would be no story here. As she and her friends admire their beautiful Christmas tree, Suzy recognizes that something very important is missing!  It needs a STAR!  Upon seeing such a star in the sky, Suzy has reason for hope.

She'll just get up there and bring it down for their tree. How is that possible? Suzy believes there are options. Each plan seems doomed to failure and ends with a SPLAT! Well, walking might be tedious, but it should work. On and on she goes, farther and farther away from home and hearth. Feeling hopelessly lost, she is heartened to hear familiar sounds. Following the sounds, she meets up with her friends and is awfully impressed to have her dream of a star topper come true!

You cannot help but be impressed with Suzy and her strength of character...I liked meeting her. And the artwork is so impressive. Each double spread invites exploration and discussion. The panelled spreads move the story along with spunk and humor. Suzy never gives up! Her tenacity pays off when she and her friends are faced with the magic of the Christmas season:

"It was almost like magic.
"Merry Christmas,"
honked Suzy Goose."

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