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The Singing Geese
A cautionary tale of a farmer outwitted by a gaggle of wily geeseJan Wahl has retained the rhythmic, sly humor of this tall tale from Maryland told him by an old black man. When Sam Bombel goes out one day to hunt his dinner, he sees flying overhead a great big flock of geese, all singing:
"La lee loo.
Come quilla, come quilla.
Bang, bang, bang!
Quilla bang".
Readers' appetites will be whetted as they watch the farmer's wife pluck and roast the goose that Sam brings home. But just as he is about to stick his knife in that delicious-looking goose, swoosh, in through the window flies the whole flock to rescue the unlucky bird. Readers can sing the refrain to the music provided. Sterling Brown's rich, glossy oil paintings add drama to this brisk retelling of a cautionary tale.
"La lee loo.
Come quilla, come quilla.
Bang, bang, bang!
Quilla bang".
Readers' appetites will be whetted as they watch the farmer's wife pluck and roast the goose that Sam brings home. But just as he is about to stick his knife in that delicious-looking goose, swoosh, in through the window flies the whole flock to rescue the unlucky bird. Readers can sing the refrain to the music provided. Sterling Brown's rich, glossy oil paintings add drama to this brisk retelling of a cautionary tale.
- GenresPicture Books
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 25, 1998
2 people want to read
About the author
Jan Wahl
151 books11 followersJan Wahl was an American author best known for his imaginative and influential children’s books, which combined wit, warmth and a deep respect for young readers. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Wahl showed artistic promise early, performing piano on children’s radio programs and appearing on stage alongside legendary magician Harry Blackstone Sr. He studied at Cornell University, where he took classes with Vladimir Nabokov, and continued his education in Europe as a Fulbright scholar before completing graduate studies in the United States.
Wahl began publishing children’s books in the mid-1960s and quickly became a prolific and celebrated voice in the field, ultimately writing more than 120 works. Titles such as Pleasant Fieldmouse, The Furious Flycycle and Humphrey’s Bear earned him a devoted readership and critical acclaim. His stories were frequently illustrated by major artists, including Edward Gorey, Maurice Sendak and Mercer Mayer, and were praised for their playful tone, emotional intelligence and sense of empowerment.
Beyond writing, Wahl led an unusually rich cultural life, working with filmmakers, writers and artists, lecturing widely on film history and literature, and maintaining close ties to both the literary and cinematic worlds.
Wahl began publishing children’s books in the mid-1960s and quickly became a prolific and celebrated voice in the field, ultimately writing more than 120 works. Titles such as Pleasant Fieldmouse, The Furious Flycycle and Humphrey’s Bear earned him a devoted readership and critical acclaim. His stories were frequently illustrated by major artists, including Edward Gorey, Maurice Sendak and Mercer Mayer, and were praised for their playful tone, emotional intelligence and sense of empowerment.
Beyond writing, Wahl led an unusually rich cultural life, working with filmmakers, writers and artists, lecturing widely on film history and literature, and maintaining close ties to both the literary and cinematic worlds.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 18, 2016
I was not a big fan of this book. It wasn't interesting at all. I wouldn't have been interested in it if I was in Elementary school and this was one of the choices to read. A cool aspect that it has is the singing part can actually be played on a piano and the sheet music is at the back of the book. Wouldn't recommend to read! It talks about hunting and some children aren't exposed to that either so it would just be weird and confusing for some.
Displaying 1 of 1 review