A Blended Approved Read – “Goose” by Molly Bang

My friend and Blended contributor Kurt emailed me recently about a video he stumbled across in his local library. The video is called Goose by Molly Bang and is narrated by Laura Dern. Originally a book, I quickly looked to see if it was in my library. Sadly it was not to be found and then I learned that Goose is out of print. Then last week when we made our weekly trek to our local library there sat the video copy of Goose in the children’s section just waiting for me!

Molly Bang, an award winning author (a three time Caldecott winner) and illustrator, but also an adoptive mother, originally wrote this book for her daughter in the difficulties she encountered during her first year of college away from her family. But it is also very clearly a book about adoption, the adoptive family, the adoptee’s struggle for self-identity and discovery, and of course reconciling both adoptive identity and personal identity in a healthy way.

In summary the story is about a gosling that hatches in a den of woodchucks. The gosling is accepted into the family and raised with love. Most profound for me were the words that the woodchucks “taught her everything they thought a youngster should know” and yet the goose, although loved and adored, knew there was something missing and she was sad. While her woodchuck family and woodland friends attempt to “make her happy” she remains sad and decides to set out on a journey of her own to discover what it is she is missing about herself. It is in this journey of self-discovery that she finds she can surprisingly fly and instead of discovering a whole new group of geese to join (as you might expect the story to go), returns to her woodchuck family to rejoice in her discovery, and to love and be loved by them. At the end the reader finds a peaceful and self-assured goose in a loving woodchuck family. A true Blended family!

This is a wonderful video and/or book and I encourage you to discover this treasured story for your own family. Its possible that some agencies may have this book in their borrowing library or you can find it at your own local library too. Enjoy!

Click to add the book or video to your personal library.