The Girl and the Goatherd or This and That and Thus and So

by Evaline Ness

What is the advantage in being the most beautiful girl if you can't be happy too? Better to be ugly and happy.

Genres: Picture Books

Library Binding

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Evaline Ness was an American commercial artist, illustrator, and author of children's books. As illustrator of picture books she was one of three Caldecott Medal runners-up each year 1964 to 1966 and she won the 1967 Medal for Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine, which she also wrote. She illustrated more than thirty books for young readers and wrote several of her own. She is noted for using a great variety of artistic media and methods.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is fine, though one has to wonder what the goatherd sees in the silly girl. The ending is so thoroughly happy one can only assume it turns into an HEA. But the art is incredible. I particularly love the page of the now-beautiful girl at court, on a throne-like chair with her head outlined by an ornate picture-frame.

But the language is the best thing of all, as hinted by the title. It's musical in its rhythm, and the colloquial vocabulary is fascinating. For example "Don't naggle yourself" for "Don't worry." I would have loved this so much when I was a child, I'm rounding up 3.5 stars for her sake.

I'm not sure which of you, my friends, would like it, but if you can get it from your library I do recommend that you do so, if only to keep them from weeding it.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 4 stars are for the illustration. Evaline Ness' work in all forms is divine.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure. The woodcut illustrations are the gems of my childhood. A funny and sad critique of the consumerist, spectacle-loving culture that we (often) unconsciously condition our young people for.