The Golden Goose

From the lighter side of the Brothers Grimm, this happy tale of luck and folly receives wonderfully puckish treatment from Shulevitz (who manages to reprise the hilarious contraption he created for The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship). After sharing a crust of bread with an odd old man, a simpleton receives a token of good luck in the form of a golden goose. From then on, each person the simpleton encounters falls under a spell and becomes attached to the goose, forming a human chain. In a sublime stroke of luck, the unlikely parade-three maidens, a parson, a sexton, a peasant and his wife-amuses a princess so serious that the king has promised her hand to whoever can make her laugh. Shulevitz's stylish artwork conjures up an old world brimming with quirky charm, from the angular, colorful jumble of buildings to the villagers with their bright red noses and oversized shoes, and the unassuming hero with his blue-rimmed eyes and tilting, too-tall hat. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)