My Goose Betsy

In Braun's first book, a child introduces ""My goose Betsy"" in a straightforward, conversational tone. The boy narrator explains what Betsy looks like and how she walks and sounds before describing her precise steps to building a nest. After she lays her eggs (eight in all), her protective gander mate stands guard as Betsy patiently keeps the eggs warm until they hatch. Bendall-Brunello's (Yum, Yum, Yummy!) unadorned watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations document the proceedings at close range. Youngsters will likely utter audible ""ahs!"" as the first downy gosling finally emerges from its shell (""Tap, tap, tap. Push, push, push. What a struggle!""). In another endearing spread, this diminutive creature and its seven siblings parade pell-mell from the goose house while the narrator concludes, ""My goose Betsy is a mother goose."" A closing spread of additional facts about gosling gestation and growth wrap up this engaging presentation of one animal family's beginnings. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)