GUS THE GOOSE AND THE SILLY RABBITS

Gus the Goose’s negligence endangers baby rabbits.

In Davis and Fistere’s (Gus the Goose, 2020) second Gus book, Farmer Brown, a short, White, green-aproned farmer, has to leave to watch his “wandering cows.” During his absence, he puts Gus the Goose in charge of watching baby rabbits in their cage. The farmer warns Gus not to let the rabbits out—“eagles or possums” might eat them. Soon after Farmer Brown departs, the rabbits persuade the goose to release them, and they promptly scatter. The danger escalates when Gus sees a hawk “circulating” in the sky. The hawk carries off one of the babies; flying fast, Gus manages to intimidate the raptor into dropping its prey and carries it home—only to find Farmer Brown waiting at the cage to scold him. “Gus understood how important rules are, and never again would he make the mistake of not following them,” the text concludes, without nuance. Astute readers may respond that absolute obedience toward authority isn’t actually always necessary. Fistere’s flat, cartoonish paintings in bright colors illuminate Gus’ chaotic scramble for the rabbits; some images of the farm from above, populated with a variety of animals in different enclosures, might function as an entertaining “I Spy” game if the page’s format was larger. Gus’ haste to capture the baby rabbit is illustrated with effective comedy. Page composition seems scattered, though, and the images add little depth to the narrative.

A quick, if shallow, moral fable for lovers of farm stories.