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Goat’s Coat

“Let me tell you the tale of Alfonzo the goat, who was terribly proud of his lovely new coat.” This is how the story of a goat and his coat begins. The gently coloured pages with stylised drawings show us how the goat handles trouble and desperate friends. For one so proud of his coat, which is admired by many, it would be so easy to walk away.

To stroll about the countryside and show the world his coat, Alfonzo begins his parade. It isn’t long before he comes across a family of frogs who have lost their home. They are desperate for a solution to their problem as they are stuck on the river bank. Alfonzo unpicks a pocket in his coat and helps the frogs turn it into a boat which they can sail away in. The new coat wasn’t quite so smart now, but Alfonzo had helped a family in great need.

The story continues, with other animals in distressing situations. Alfonzo helps them out where he can, at the expense of his wonderful new coat. Just when he is about to return home, it begins to snow. Now the goat is really in trouble. The message we see in this story shows how kindness is often repaid, and good things can happen to those who have a commitment to caring for others.

The story is told in rhyme, which is delightful to read. “The hen was upset-she’d lost one of her chicks. Might this be something Alfonzo could fix?”  Indeed!  The text size is large enough to read easily, broken up by illustrations or being spread over the page. The double spread illustrations really bring the story to life and add to it in subtle ways. It is always lovely to see a message of goodness and caring being passed on and reciprocated.

Author Tom Percival. Illustrations Christine Pym
Publisher Bloomsbury Childrens Books
ISBN 9781408881019
Website https://www.bloomsbury.com/au
Distributor Bloomsbury Childrens Books
Released May 2018