GOODBYE GEESE

In poetic dialogue, Papa personifies winter in response to a child's queries: ""Does winter have eyes? Yes, she has an icy stare that freezes the rivers and ponds...When geese spread their wings in the sky and fly honking south, winter hears and winter comes."" In rich, impressionistic double spreads, Young evokes glowing fall and shadowed winter in Alaska, Carlstrom's home, the outlines of the snow-covered landscape and soaring Canada geese barely suggested but their images singing forth in glorious color, dramatically contrasted with the encircling dark. Like the boy who asks the questions here, young children will be intrigued by the author's nicely developed metaphor; but it's Young's lovely illustrations that give the book its distinction.