The Goat That Flew

Description

40 pages
$17.95
ISBN 0-88878-334-5
DDC jC813'.54

Author

Year

1993

Contributor

Illustrations by Marika Gal
Reviewed by Teya Rosenberg

Teya Rosenberg teaches children’s literature at the University of
Alberta.

Review

A flying goat lands in the midst of a herd of goats. He cannot remember
who he is or how he flew, so the other goats call him Forgetter. Unable
to fit into the herd, Forgetter sets off to find his identity and a
place where he can belong. On his journey, he meets many obstacles, but
a beautiful girl named Corille and a Prince and Princess help him as he
battles the most difficult obstacle, a wicked wizard. His journey takes
him, and the others, to the sea, where he regains his true identity and
his true love.

This sequel to Page’s A Flask of Sea Water is not as strongly
constructed as the first book and does not stand as well on its own.
Many of the magic occurrences are too arbitrary, and the number of
characters is overwhelming until placed in the context of the first
story. Once I had read the first book, the events in The Goat That Flew
made more sense and the inconsistencies no longer seemed as noticeable.
The illustrations are pleasant with their strong folkloric flavor, but
they do not add to the narrative. For anyone who enjoyed A Flask of
Seawater and wants to know what happened next, this is a fine story. If
you have not read the first book, do so before reading this one.
Recommended with reservations.

Citation

Page, P.K., “The Goat That Flew,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed December 14, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/20202.