Gordon the Meanest Goose on Earth
by Alex Latimer
Interest age: 6 to 8
Reading age: 6+
Published by Oxford University Press, 2024
About this book
There are plenty of mean geese in the world. Five of them meet monthly at the Meanest Goose Society. One bites fingers. One makes old ladies carry her shopping. But Gordon is the meanest goose of all.
He shouts at people. He presses the cross-the-road button repeatedly and never crosses the road. He even directs zoo visitors to the open tiger cage!
But when Anthony the Piglet gives him a beautiful flower, Gordon is unsettled. Why is he feeling like this? Perhaps instead of being mean, he could be brave. And saying sorry for being mean would be very brave indeed...
This is a very funny story. Alex Latimer’s genius illustrations add to the humour as well – never has a goose had such brilliant facial expressions. Or eyebrows.
The message of being nice instead of mean is delivered with thoughtfulness as well as humour, so it’s not sickly or didactic. Children should love poring over this book and enjoying the colourful pictures and the silliness.
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