The Real Thief [Paperback]

William Steig (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1984 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Gawain the goose is really devoted to King Basil the bear and so he takes his job as Chief Guard of the Royal Treasury seriously. When rubies, then gold ducats, and finally the world-famous Kalikak diamond vanish from the treasure house, there is no way to account for the disappearances. Only Gawain and the King have keys!
Woe and misery must be borne--by Gawain, by King Basil and the entire community, as well as by the real thief--before the goose's good name is restored. Brought to trial, Gawain escapes from his faithless friends into lonely self-exile. Now the thief, burdened by guilt, sees that the right thing must be done and determines, heroically, to do it. (Setting all this straight is no small job for one mouse, even such a mouse as Derek.)
William Steig's many admirers will find in The Real Thief a book worthy of standing beside Dominic and Amos and Boris.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Who hasn't known the sickening, demoralizing feeling of being falsely accused? In The Real Thief, William Steig explores this injustice with the keen insight of a good psychologist and the skillful pacing of a brilliant storyteller. Gawain is a goose, a guard for the new Royal Treasury, and intensely loyal to the honey-scented, gruff, fatherly King Basil the bear: "He wanted to please him, to stay forever in his gruff, good graces. Everyone did. Basil was a popular king." The Royal Treasury consists of jewels, medallions, and precious crowns of historical interest--and the only creatures who have keys to the Treasury are Gawain and the King himself. One fateful day, Gawain discovers to his horror that the pile of rubies is smaller than it should be. He hurries to tell the King, and they both rush back to count them: "Sure enough, there were only 8,643 of the red gems when there should have been 8,672." Day after day, treasures continue to disappear, including the world-famous Kalikak diamond!

The King is flummoxed. He calls a meeting of his Royal Cabinet, who finally persuade him that the thief must be his faithful Gawain, whom he loves like a son: "He sent his councilors away and slumped in his throne, dejected. Having listened to an opinion he didn't really believe but was forced to respect, he grew confused and fell into muddled ponderings." That very night Gawain is rousted out of bed at midnight and dragged to the castle dungeon. A trial is held a few days later, and the innocent goose is found guilty, his name disgraced forever. He hates the ones he had trusted and loved for seeing evil in him that isn't there, and he flies the coop before he can be locked away. The real thief? That is for the reader to discover. In this simple fable of justice, loyalty, friendship, and betrayal, Steig again manages to portray a reflection of life so heart-rendingly accurate it's uncanny. Children will be on the edge of their seats throughout this powerful, suspenseful tale, and visibly relieved by the happy, forgiving ending. (Ages 8 and older, excellent for reading aloud) --Karin Snelson

Review

"Honorable goose Gawain has only his King's best interests at heart but, as guard of the royal treasury, he is accused of theft after jewels and money disappear from the vault. . .Steig's captivating style and tongue-in-cheek humor bring to life an endearing set of animal characters with some extremely human foibles." --Booklist

"Impossible to resist." --Kirkus Reviews

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (December 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374462089
• ISBN-13: 978-0374462086
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,622,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Steig (1907-2003) published his first children's book, Roland the Minstrel Pig, in 1968, and received the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (978-1416902065) in 1970. His works also include The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book, and Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books. His most recent books published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux are Shrek! (released by DreamWorks as a major motion picture) and Wizzil, illustrated by Quentin Blake. School Library Journal named Shrek! a Best Book of 1990 and said of it, "Steig's inimitable wit and artistic dash have never been sharper or more expertly blended."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story!, September 14, 2001

By 

An 8-year old reader (Fort Knox, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Real Thief (Paperback)

Imagine that you are the Chief Guard of the King's treasury and things are disappearing from the treasury. Now imagine that you are falsely accused of taking things from the treasury by all your friends. Last, imagine you are forced to run away and live in a cave in the woods with home-made furniture and shoes. If this sounds interesting to you, you should read The Real Thief because all of these things happen and more!

16 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best children's book I have ever read!!, December 16, 2001

By 

"tgathers1" (Walnut, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Real Thief (Paperback)

I am an avid reader and this is the one THE BEST children's book I have read. Great moral and ethical values for a child to learn at an early age. Loyalty, honestly, and integrity are more important than money, and position. Also, when life seems to turn against you, sometimes your friends turn and run also. Can't understand why this book has not become as popular as James and the Giant Peach which was made into a movie and written by the same author. This was far far better and I think should be required reading for every child. Also the words used by the author will probably challenge the average reader and might possibly require a dictionary sometimes to be nearby. Which is not bad either.

Unfortunately it does not seem to be in hard back. A book you'd want to keep in your library even after your children are grown. Mine are now 19 and 17, so I am buying it for gifts for other children. Excellent book!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of best books for kids!, December 16, 2011

By 

Marcia Cooper "mC from mA" (Waban, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The real thief (Hardcover)

I so enjoyed reading "The Real Thief" numerous times to students and even wrote a script that was performed for a puppet show based on this fantastic story that teaches a most important life lesson. It prompted conversations about how we can all relate to being falsely accused of even the most minor offenses, and suspecting others of misdeeds when they are actually innocent. It is an especially heartwarming and engrossing tale told with an abundance of humor!