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Trudy
When Esme meets Trudy at the county auction, she knows there's something really special about her. "She's quite a goat!" But she doesn't know how special, until she takes her Trudy can predict the weather. Esme's goat becomes a local superstar! "Heard you've got quite a goat!" But one day, Trudy disappears inside her barn and doesn't come back out. What's wrong with Trudy? Esme is very worried. But she soon discovers that Trudy has something even more special in store. . . .
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Henry Cole
256 books169 followersHenry Cole was a celebrated science teacher for many years before turning his talents to children's books. He has worked on nearly one hundred and fifty books for children, including Nesting, Unspoken, Big Bug, A Nest for Celeste, Jack's Garden, and On Meadowview Street. Henry loves being outside where he can sketch and write.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 18, 2020
Sweet story 💝🐐
April 21, 2009
Simple and sweet. Some plot elements really don't fit well.
March 14, 2009
Sweet book, nice art. But somehow the whole thing felt a little bit flat.
February 24, 2023
3 stars (I liked it)
This was a decent story. Trudy is cute and so is the relationship between child and goat. I was a bit disappointed with Cole's illustrations, just because I find them so beautiful in most of his other books.
This was a decent story. Trudy is cute and so is the relationship between child and goat. I was a bit disappointed with Cole's illustrations, just because I find them so beautiful in most of his other books.
September 26, 2019
Story and illustrations cute and sweet
December 19, 2019
Loved the illustrations!
April 10, 2012
Oh, how I longed for a pet goat when I was a child! So many of my friends had goats and they gave them the dullest, most obvious names. Billy. Nanny. Cappy.
I swore if I were ever lucky enough to get a pet goat, surely I'd give it a name with a little more pizzazz than that. While "Trudy" had never crossed my mind as a potential name, it surely would have if this book had been around when I was younger.
Prolific children's book illustrator Henry Cole has put together a captivating goat tale. Esme goes with her grandfather to the county auction to look for an animal to purchase. Nothing feels quite right. Holsteins are too big. Grandmother is allergic to feathers, so birds are out. Pigs are too stinky.
Wonder of wonders, here in a corner of the barn is a sign, "'Trudy' Free to Good Home” Trudy, of course, turns out to be a shy looking goat, with just a hint of sass behind her demure eyelashes. Grandpa chortles that the price is right, and Esme and Trudy quickly become fast friends. Esme takes care of Trudy, reads to her and even talks to her about her day. Astute readers will notice little details such as Esme reading "Jack's Garden" (also by Henry Cole) to Trudy.
Soon, Esme notices that whenever Trudy retreats to her barn, snow is certain to follow. A steady following for the prognostic goat emerges and the local townsfolk don’t hesitate to make Trudy a media sensation. (One is reminded strongly of a particularly famous "Some Pig") One illustration shows a bumper sticker affixed to a neighbor's car, "I Get My Weather Reports from TRUDY" and shortly after, we see a two-page spread with late 50's model cars, pick-up trucks and news crews circled round Trudy's modest shed. An enterprising townsperson has even set up a hot cocoa stand.
This last time, it's not snow however, that keeps Trudy in, rather, it’s a brand new “kid” for her to take care of.
Cole's gentle acrylic illustrations are almost reminiscent of watercolor, with a nice balance between vignettes of Esme and Trudy and full-spread illustrations of the farm. I loved this book… for anyone wanting to look at a charming old-fashioned story about an unusual pet, this would be a terrific read.
I swore if I were ever lucky enough to get a pet goat, surely I'd give it a name with a little more pizzazz than that. While "Trudy" had never crossed my mind as a potential name, it surely would have if this book had been around when I was younger.
Prolific children's book illustrator Henry Cole has put together a captivating goat tale. Esme goes with her grandfather to the county auction to look for an animal to purchase. Nothing feels quite right. Holsteins are too big. Grandmother is allergic to feathers, so birds are out. Pigs are too stinky.
Wonder of wonders, here in a corner of the barn is a sign, "'Trudy' Free to Good Home” Trudy, of course, turns out to be a shy looking goat, with just a hint of sass behind her demure eyelashes. Grandpa chortles that the price is right, and Esme and Trudy quickly become fast friends. Esme takes care of Trudy, reads to her and even talks to her about her day. Astute readers will notice little details such as Esme reading "Jack's Garden" (also by Henry Cole) to Trudy.
Soon, Esme notices that whenever Trudy retreats to her barn, snow is certain to follow. A steady following for the prognostic goat emerges and the local townsfolk don’t hesitate to make Trudy a media sensation. (One is reminded strongly of a particularly famous "Some Pig") One illustration shows a bumper sticker affixed to a neighbor's car, "I Get My Weather Reports from TRUDY" and shortly after, we see a two-page spread with late 50's model cars, pick-up trucks and news crews circled round Trudy's modest shed. An enterprising townsperson has even set up a hot cocoa stand.
This last time, it's not snow however, that keeps Trudy in, rather, it’s a brand new “kid” for her to take care of.
Cole's gentle acrylic illustrations are almost reminiscent of watercolor, with a nice balance between vignettes of Esme and Trudy and full-spread illustrations of the farm. I loved this book… for anyone wanting to look at a charming old-fashioned story about an unusual pet, this would be a terrific read.
February 19, 2009
Esme's grandfather takes her to the farm auction where she is going to pick out an animal to take home. Her grandmother is allergic to feathers, so the ducks, roosters and pigeons are out. The pigs are too stinky and the cow is too big. Esme picks out Trudy, a goat who is being given away free at the auction. Trudy is given a small red barn to live in with her own fenced yard with an apple tree. Trudy goes out every morning to her favorite spot. Until one morning when she heads out, smells the air and returns to the barn. That day, it snowed. This happens again and again. Trudy returns to the barn, it snows. Crowds begin to gather to see the weather-forecasting goat. But then, Trudy returns to the barn and it doesn't snow. What could that mean?
This book has many of the same charms as Cole's On Meadowview Street. Cole's illustrations once again capture a feeling, a setting, a mood. The setting here is especially clearly done for a picture book, with the feel in each and every picture of modern but small farm life. The book reads aloud very nicely, with touches of repetition, moments of revelation, and its own pace. I appreciate a book that shows a child living with her grandparents as matter-of-fact and unexplained. Just normal and factual.
This book is a charmer. You may have to create a goat story time just to share this one. Oh, and who wouldn't want to pair it with a very different but equally great goat story - Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat.
This book has many of the same charms as Cole's On Meadowview Street. Cole's illustrations once again capture a feeling, a setting, a mood. The setting here is especially clearly done for a picture book, with the feel in each and every picture of modern but small farm life. The book reads aloud very nicely, with touches of repetition, moments of revelation, and its own pace. I appreciate a book that shows a child living with her grandparents as matter-of-fact and unexplained. Just normal and factual.
This book is a charmer. You may have to create a goat story time just to share this one. Oh, and who wouldn't want to pair it with a very different but equally great goat story - Gregory the Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat.
February 3, 2009
This book has a lovely cover which was appealing, but then again I have sort of a soft spot for goats. Meh-eh-eh. If I saw a sign that said, "Trudy free to a good home." I don't know if I could resist.
Trudy's new owners soon notice that her patterns seem to indicate the ability to predict the weather. This draws the attention of many folks in town, sort of like a little book I read awhile back, "Charlotte's Web".
Luckily the folks discover that Trudy's a fake, right before she.....
(I'd hate to spoil the ending).
Trudy's new owners soon notice that her patterns seem to indicate the ability to predict the weather. This draws the attention of many folks in town, sort of like a little book I read awhile back, "Charlotte's Web".
Luckily the folks discover that Trudy's a fake, right before she.....
(I'd hate to spoil the ending).
September 7, 2016
A girl gets a goat who can forecast snow.
This is cute and it's nice that it ends with a baby goat. The story doesn't have much of a plot, so there's not much progression, but that hardly stops me when it comes to childrens' stories.
The girls seemed to enjoy it. It helps that it recently snowed there.
This is cute and it's nice that it ends with a baby goat. The story doesn't have much of a plot, so there's not much progression, but that hardly stops me when it comes to childrens' stories.
The girls seemed to enjoy it. It helps that it recently snowed there.
October 28, 2012
A funny little story, but I don't mean that in a bad way. I like the laconic Grandfather ("Nope.") and the laconic Trudy, who is totally unphased by attention or lack of it. I like that this is a grandparent-grandchild family, and I love the ending, a great way to bring closure to a story without a lot of narrative drive or tension.
February 4, 2009
With a little bit of wilbur the pig mixed in, and very evocative farm illustrations this is lovely little story.
June 21, 2009
A nice story about a young girl who picks out a goat for a pet. The goat then seems to be able to forecast when it will snow.
May 12, 2012
Very sweet story about a goat.
March 23, 2009
In this farm story, Esme can pick one animal from the auction, and decides on a goat. There is something special about this goat though. She can predict snow! Or is there something else....
April 28, 2009
Yay! A book about a goat! I love goats!
July 25, 2009
We're totally biased. We own goats. See my videos and bio for the goat drama. But seriously, I love this book.
December 10, 2009
"goats, pets, snow, weather prediction"
February 3, 2016
Not so good. It had potential and then it petered out.
September 16, 2010
Sweet story although a bit flat. I wasn't sure what to make of it by the end. Pretty illustrations.
December 18, 2013
Subjects
Goats -- Juvenile fiction.
Animals -- Infancy -- Juvenile fiction
Snow -- Juvenile fiction
Goats -- Juvenile fiction.
Animals -- Infancy -- Juvenile fiction
Snow -- Juvenile fiction
January 28, 2014
A lovely story about a little girl named Esme and her goat Trudy.
March 11, 2009
A story about a girl and her weather predicting goat. Not much else to say about this one Grades 1+
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December 4, 2017This book reminds me of Charlotte’s Web. Trudy the goat goes inside every time it’s about to snow, and the whole rural town gets excited that she is a weather predicting goat. They make shirts and bumper stickers and the news comes out to film it, but with a twist ending, Trudy wasn’t expecting snow, she was expecting a baby goat. The acrylic illustrations are illustrative and cute with a softer color palette. This would be a good read aloud book.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews