A Gaggle of Geese [Hardcover]

Philippa-alys Browne (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

An amusing introduction to an aspect of the English language reveals the colorful and descriptive nouns used to refer to various groups of animals, from a mob of kangaroos to a crash of rhinoceri.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?Vibrant, almost fluorescent full-page illustrations present the collective names of 26 animals. One phrase per page flows in a rhyming pattern: "... A knot of toads scrambling; A rookery of penguins stooping; A drove of pigs ambling; A flight of butterflies swooping." The animals themselves are shown rising from the more subdued backgrounds and are not necessarily true in color to their real-live counterparts: zebras have red, black, and pink stripes; leopards sport turquoise and red spots, etc. At first, this bit of artistic license is a little jarring, but it makes for quite a dramatic presentation. Size considerations are not taken into account and some of the animals will be hard to identify; the bears look more like weasels, the blue squirrels like rats. Appended notes give background on the origin of the collective names and brief information about each animal. A striking, although additional, browsing book.?Beth Irish, Orange Public Library, CA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum; 1st edition (February 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689807619
• ISBN-13: 978-0689807619
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,192,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully exciting book for children, March 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: A Gaggle of Geese (Hardcover)

I first saw the book A GAGGLE OF GEESE about 20 years in a science museum where I worked. I remember being particularly interested in the opportunity to learn the collective names of animals.

When I ordered it recently, I had forgotten it was a children's book; I only remembered it as a source book. Imagine my surprise and delight to see this beautifully illustrated, cleverly worded children's book. I wish I had had this for my own children when they were little; it should be reissued! The book came to me in excellent condition, very carefully packaged by the bookseller, arriving only a few days after I ordered it.

But, I was a little disappointed that the group animal names were limited to 26, I believe; I had expected a much larger number of them. However, now that I have it, I shall cherish A Gaggle of Geese as a children's book to share with young friends. And then I plan to search further for an adult book on group names of a wider range of animals, if such a book exists.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely stunning, March 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: A Gaggle of Geese (Hardcover)

The novelty of learning all the animal group terms, is outstripped by the gorgeous, striking illustrations. This book is truly a pleasure both to read to our small daughter, who loves pointing out the details in the illustrations, and as a work of art. It would make a lovely coffee table book. Ms Browne, and Barefoot books in general, make brightly colored, beautifully and sometimes adventurously illustrated books. I only regret that this book is so difficult to find!