With Goose and Duck certain that he is their mother and thus mimicking his every move, a young boy takes the lead to care for his two feathered friends and keep them out of trouble as they develop and learn how to live in the world on their own. - (Baker & Taylor)

A young boy becomes the "mother" to a goose, who becomes "mother" to a duck, as they learn about the rhythms of nature together. - (Baker & Taylor)

Whatever I did, Goose did.
Whatever Goose did, Duck did.
When I sat down, Goose sat down.
Duck sat down too.

What's a little boy to do when a goose and a duck think that he's their mother? Especially when they follow him around, doing everything he does!

Newbery Medal winner Jean Craighead George's comic story and Priscilla Lamont's lively art make for a silly tale about boys, geese, ducks, and the rhythms of nature.

Booklist Reviews

A boy finds a goose egg by a lake. When it cracks open, the little goose sees him and takes him for his mother. Goose soon imitates everything the boy does, from eating spaghetti to hopping on one foot. One day, they watch a little duck hatch out of an egg. The duckling spies Goose and takes him for his mother. Soon Duckling is mimicking Goose mimicking the boy. When a policeman finds the birds, the plot takes some entertaining twists before reaching a satisfying conclusion. Lamont's colorful illustrations combine sensitive line work with appealing color washes, creating a series of pictures that is always appealing and often amusing. Seasonal changes in the artwork and the biological concept of filial imprinting are not discussed, but are there for observant children to absorb. Sure to please animal lovers, the clearly written story is well suited to beginning readers and, as a read-aloud. Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

A boy finds an egg, and the goose that hatches thinks the boy is its mother. Then the goose finds a duck who thinks the goose is its mother. The three do everything together until nature takes its course and the birds return to their flocks ("That's how it is with birds"). Warm illustrations echo the story's affection. Copyright 2008 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

George, renowned for blending respect for nature with compelling story craft, introduces biological basics such as imprinting and avian migration in this gentle easy reader. A boy discovers a hatching gosling: "He stared at me. / I stared at him. / And I became his mother." Goose mimics everything the boy does, and when they both happen on another hatching egg, the ensuing duckling imprints on Goose. Though some hijinks down at the police station (where Goose and Duck quickly wear out their welcome) seem a bit tacked on, George artfully incorporates simple textual patterns and humorous touches that are just right for new readers. Lamont's sweet, uncomplicated pictures nicely explicate the text. George's ending is unusually poignant for the genre, as each bird, upon observing others of its species migrating south, "knew who he was." Our narrator takes their leaving in as much stride as their arrival: "That's how it is with birds." Satisfyingly down-to-earth. (Easy reader. 5-7) Copyright Kirkus 2007 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Reviews

K-Gr 2— A top-notch easy reader. A boy finds a goose egg that hatches and the gosling imprints on him. Then he finds a duck egg that hatches and the duckling imprints on the goose. What follows is a delightfully sweet case of "monkey see, monkey do" as each bird imitates its "mother." The vocabulary, sentence structure, large print, and ample white space are right on target for children just beginning to read on their own. The large, full-color illustrations are funny and expressive, showing Goose and Duck in the role of active children. Particularly memorable is the picture of Goose at the table eating spaghetti and Goose and Duck "helping" to wash a police car. It's rare to find a beginning reader with a story and illustrations that are this engaging, humorous, and educational.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA