MINDI AND THE GOOSE NO ONE ELSE COULD SEE, by Sam McBratney and Linda Olafsdottir, Candlewick; Illustrated edition, March 1, 2021, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 3-7)
Mindi and the Goose No One Else Could See, by Sam McBratney and Linda Olafsdottir explores childhood anxiety.
“Once there was a girl called Mindi who was afraid of something that no one else could see. This thing that she was afraid of, this thing that no one else could see, was a big goose. It came into her room as quietly as a thought comes into your head. . . .”
When a little girl named Mindi says she is being visited by a big goose — a scary creature that is visible only to her — her devoted dad and mom try everything they can think of to drive it away. But maybe some outside assistance is warranted from their wise friend Austen, a farmer who knows what is needed to help Mindi turn her mind to something new. —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
While childhood fears are often silly to grownups, they are very real and very big to kids. Mindi and the Goose No One Else Could See takes those fears seriously in a warm and whimsical way.
Sam McBratney, author of Guess How Much I Love You, deftly brings characters with depth and heart to a picture book format in a heart-warming and witty way.
Linda Olafsdottir’s sweet illustrations are muted and soft, allowing the goose to be scary without being too scary.
