The Lonely Goose - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

I might be in the minority, but I have always loved Canada geese. Perhaps it's the sound of them honking as the fly overhead in their V-patterns or their determined tenacity to survive. I've always felt sad to see one goose alone, knowing they mate for life and shouldn't be on their own. Maybe that's what forms my kinship with them? BUT, even if you don't like geese, you don't want to miss this gorgeous, STEM picture book! I am excited to offer you all a sneak preview of this touching and stunning book.

Book cover - a Canada goose sitting in wild flowers and ferns

The Lonely Goose

Author: Lela Nargi

Illustrator: Anne Hunter

Publisher: Random House Studio (2025)

Ages: 4-8

Fiction

Themes: Canada geese, nature, science, STEM, loss, and seasons of life. Synopsis:

In this lyrical and poignant nonfiction book about loss, follow the lives of a pair of Canada geese as they perform their courtship rituals, raise nests full of chicks, and migrate with the seasons... until one goose has to brave the world alone.

This is a stunningly illustrated, moving picture book about two geese bonded for life. They have six eggs, and then six chicks, and they teach them how to fly. But when one of the geese in the partnership becomes ill and dies, what happens to its partner goose? She is forced, suddenly, to brave the world on her own—until a new partner goose comes along, calling to her with his own powerful moves. With scientific facts, a beautiful text, and gorgeous art work, young readers will find themselves inspired to take a closer look at the natural world around them.

Opening Lines: Here is how he won her over:

He was the best dancer with the most powerful moves.

He hissed loudly and bravely.

He had a long, sleek neck and a fine bill.

When he called her over, she swam nearer. What I LOVED about the book: I love the way Lela Nargi made the initial meeting and courtship of the geese both scientifically accurate and easily relatable to kids and how the gorgeous opening spread by Anne Hunter presents the gander in almost a hallo glow of sunlight. How could the goose not be interested in him?

Internal spread - on the left, a goose partially in the reeds looks across the spread at a gander who is courting her with his wings spread wide.

Text © Lela Nargi, 2025. Image © Anne Hunter, 2025.

Once they paired up, the two geese were inseparable throughout the day and night. "The world was the two of them." The beautiful moonlit night with the two geese snuggled by the pond is so sweet and so poignant on a second read. As a foreshadowing of what is to come later in the book. Sharp-eyed observers will notice Anne Hunter's inclusion of other animals in the detailed illustrations, like the dragonfly in the earlier image and the fox slinking past in the foreground on this one.

Internal spread - on the left 3 spot illustrations of the geese together in the water and on land. On the right the two geese sleep side-by-side by the pond.

Text © Lela Nargi, 2025. Image © Anne Hunter, 2025.

Little touches of humor in the illustrations (like the cameo of double geese bottoms) and the insertion of other animals and plants - a red-winged black bird, a heron, a damsel fly, and pussy willows keep the illustrations from feeling redundant. The illustrations utilize subtle shifts in color to follow the seasons and collapse time as the pair incubate a nest of eggs, raise six gooselings, and teach them to migrate south with the flock, year after year.

Then one "spring he could not fly. He could not preen. He could not eat. He closed his eyes on the bank of the pond." With a touching, beautiful simplicity, which doesn't anthropomorphize, the text captures both the gander's death and the grieving of the goose ("the world was just her now"), as she remains beside the gander for days, accompanied by her sisters. When the flock flies south, the goose remains, alone, by the lake. Even the fox appears to be heading away from the pond. This is such a heart-breaking image contrasted with the one above. What had seemed magical, sparkling, and full of promise on a moonlit evening, was now gray, lonely, and foreboding.

Internal image - a lone goose sits by a pond as the flock flies south in two "v" formations.

The goose remained alone all winter at the pond. Finally, with the return of her flock, "little by little she felt hungry again." Watching the others, she notices that another goose who has returned with the flock is also alone. This touching story tackles love, family, and healing from loss while offering a wonderful fact-based, realistic story of Canada geese. Wonderful back matter offers additional insights into these amazing geese, their families, attachments, and the challenges they face. A touching ode to Canada geese, this is a spectacular book exploring their lives, as well as love and loss, which leaves the reader with hope, curiosity, and a deeper appreciation of nature. Resources:

create your own origami goose and gander.

make a shoebox diorama of the pond in the book. Which scene did you recreate? Why?

what did you learn about the Canada goose that most surprised or intrigued you?

pair this book with Ida, Always by Caron Levis, illustrated by Charles Santoso and Feathers Together, by Caron Levis, illustrated by Charles Santoso.

If you missed my interview with Lela Nargi and Anne Hunter on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.