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| Last Updated: Jul 6th, 2008 - 20:19:16
| Reviews - Books for Children |
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Lucy Goose Goes to Texas - Review
By Cynthia Kirkeby
Sep 1, 2006, 06:11 PST
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Lucy Goose Goes to Texas is a children's book about a gosling that is growing up with a very independent streak. Her independence is not discouraged by her mother as she's growing up, instead, she is allowed to grow up rather headstrong.
Later as the flock heads south to Texas and warmer weather, Lucy decides to fly alone to the unfamiliar territory. It is during the trip when things get a little rough that she learns that she really needed the flock to make it safely to her new location. She begins to lament that her friends and family aren't with her. Then, just when things look doubtful with a wolf lurking nearby, Lucy sees her flock land nearby, and she joins them for the remainder of the trip, arriving safely at their destination.
Although I thought the book was cute, something started to bother me about the story. As I read it again, I realized Lucy Goose Goes to Texas is a story where the main character is never told to pay attention when she wanders off. Lucy also seems to have little to no interest in her family. As her mother tries to impart important knowledge to Lucy, she's ignored.
Later, when Lucy wanders off on her own, she suddenly wishes her friends and family were with her, which rings false since she is never shown connecting with a sibling earlier in the story. She also realizes that she is now woefully inequipped to make the long journey to Texas alone. To me this felt like a parent who stands by and watches as a young child ignores her homework and chores... and does NOTHING to reprimand her. Then later when the kid flunks out of class, the parent comes by and says..."Come home with us. You really need us, because you don't know the basics. You've failed in your independence and now we'll take care of you."
The author, Holly Bea, really needed to frame the beginning of the story with the concept that it's good to be independent, but that doesn't mean that you can ignore your studies. Independence is built on responsibility and knowledge. As the main character, Lucy, starts off on her journey, she doesn't even know why geese fly in a V! She gets completely fatigued trying to make the long trip without assistance.
To correct this deficiency in the story, a dialogue between the parent, or teacher, and the children needs to happen. Parents need to point out that independence requires preparation and and a strong foundation of knowledge and experience.
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