Also written and/or illustrated by Tad Hills: Duck and Goose: Let's Dance! Duck and Goose: Colors! Duck and Goose Go to the Beach Duck and Goose: Goose Needs a Hug Rocket Writes a Story Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin (oversized board book) How Rocket Learned to Read Duck and Goose: It's Time for Christmas! Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin Duck and Goose, How Are You Feeling? Waking Up Wendell Duck & Goose What's Up, Duck? (A Book of Opposites) Duck, Duck, Goose by Tad Hills Ages 4-8 40 pages Schwartz & Wade February 2007 Hardcover     It’s hard to share a best friend when you’re young, especially when the newcomer is not to your liking. Goose enjoys the quieter side of life and playing noncompetitive games with his best friend, Duck. While Goose is standing in a puddle, a beautiful blue butterfly lands on his head. He cannot wait to show Duck, so Goose plans to stand perfectly still, with the butterfly perched on his head until Duck arrives. But Duck doesn’t arrive alone, or quietly: he arrives with his new duck friend, Thistle. Thistle likes to show-off her speedy math skills, her breath-holding abilities, and her log-balancing expertise - and she does just that. Goose is a good sport and joins in with all Thistle’s games. He tries his best at the “balance-a-stick-on-your-head contest” and the “who-can-hop-on-one-foot-the-longest match." When Thistle suggests head-standing, Goose realizes “I’d rather look for butterflies.” Goose goes to his favorite leafy place of comfort and memories. When Goose leaves the new friends, Duck begins to worry about his best friend, Goose, and he sets off to find him. When Thistle finds Duck and Goose, Thistle plays one more game with them - but this is a game Duck and Goose don’t mind losing. This sequel to Duck and Goose is illustrated with oil paints. You can't help feeling sorry for poor Goose in these illustrations. First, his butterfly flies away. Next, he’s dripping wet with splashed puddle, then there’s a series of illustrations where Goose just cannot keep up with Thistle’s energy. Goose is at the bottom of the hill instead of the top, or he’s head-first in the bush instead of over it. For Thistle, it’s a breeze to get to the top of the hill and to jump over the bush. Tad Hills, who loves making Halloween costumes, is the author and illustrator of My Fuzzy Friends and Knock, Knock, Who’s There? The young friends in Duck, Duck, Goose convey a lot of sentiment and liveliness. This story about friendship, set against a background of a beautiful summery green day, will appeal to many children.   web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2007 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)