Agatha's Feather Bed: Not Just Another Wild Goose Story

by Carmen Agra Deedy, Laura L. Seeley (Illustrator)

Overview

A delightful twist on the O. Henry classic "The Gift of the Magi," starring a weaver and six angry, naked geese. From award-winning author and storyteller Carmen Agra Deedy.

When children approach Agatha wanting to know the source of the beautiful fabrics in her weaving shop, she always recites a simple verse.

"Everything comes from something,
Nothing comes from nothing.
Just like paper comes from trees,
And glass comes from sand,
An answer comes from a question.
All you have to do is ask."

Agatha spins yarn and weaves cloth like no other, and she's worked hard to sell enough wares to buy a brand new feather bed. However, when six angry, naked geese show up to get their feathers back, Agatha must reckon with how precious resources can be.

New York Times best-selling author Carmen Agra Deedy puts a delightful twist on the O. Henry story "The Gift of the Magi," reminding us of the delicate balance between our resources and responsibilities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561450961
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	09/06/1994
Edition description:	REPRINT
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	350,995
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Carmen Agra Deedy is a New York Times best-selling author and renowned storyteller. Her books have received numerous awards and honors. Carmen has performed in many prestigious venues, but children are her favorite audience. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the United States as a refugee and like most immigrants sees the world from multiple perspectives. She lives in Georgia.

Laura L. Seeley, a native of Andover, Massachusetts, holds a degree in fine arts from the Rochester Institute of Technology. She has written and illustrated numerous children's books, including the New York Times bestseller The Boy of Steel. Her artwork is available in galleries and private collections across the country. She lives in California.

Editorial Reviews

"This finely crafted collection abounds with information and whimsy. It also teems with puns and wordplay. . . . A ducky book." —Publishers Weekly

"Offbeat, provocative, well crafted." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Agatha, a sagacious old lady, sells her woven wares and imparts knowledge to all, ``especially children: Everything comes from something, / Nothing comes from nothing .'' This maxim reaches ``six naked geese,'' who are chilly and demand the return of their feathers from Agatha's feather bed. Though ``a little down in the mouth,'' Agatha promises a solution in three days. (The geese, meanwhile, register at the ``Down Town Motel'' where they ``took a gander in the mirror.'') Agatha's solution is inspired, as is Deedy's playful yarn. From its simple beginning--``Do you see that little shop sandwiched between two skyscrapers?''--to its intriguing conclusion--``Where do goose eggs come from, anyway?''--this finely crafted collaboration abounds with information and whimsy. It also teems with puns and word play, much of which may be of greater appeal to grownups than to the book's intended audience. Seeley's atmospheric illustrations are bathed in lavender, giving them a properly old-fashioned tone. Stylized patchwork borders contain examples of Agatha's truism--a flax plant stands by a bolt of linen, a stalk of wheat by a loaf of bread. A ducky book. Ages 4-10. (June)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Jane Reno, Janet Reno's alligator-wrestling mother, was a staple of press accounts of the attorney general's confirmation hearings. Fortunately, this collection of newspaper columns written for the Miami News fleshes out the nightly news caricature. A brief biography written by Wood's nephew Hurchalla, who edited this book, and Janet Reno's moving funeral eulogy for her mother are also included. A talented journalist, fascinated by the unique southern Florida environment, the isolated Seminole people, and various Miami characters, both straight and criminal, Reno enlivened her columns by such means as impersonating a pregnant woman to expose illegal baby-selling, walking 104 miles up the Florida coast, or interviewing a scuba diver underwater. In her spare time, she built her own house, survived hurricanes, and raised a remarkable family. Although appropriate citations to her columns are inexplicably lacking, journalism and regional collections, as well as libraries interested in Reno's famous daughter, will find this volume a worthwhile purchase.-Kathy Arsenault, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib.

Library Journal

K-Gr 2-- An old woman named Agatha owns a shop in which she ``spins yarn and weaves cloth which she sells.'' One day a boy comes in with his mother and Agatha explains the origin of such things as silk, cotton, wool, etc. However, the main story does not begin until Agatha goes home that evening and is visited by six naked geese who are looking for their feathers--the feathers that are in her new feather bed. Agatha sends the geese away, telling them to return in three days. Although written with the intent of teaching young children that ``everything comes from something,'' this message-laden picture book takes on too many ideas and ends up being overwhelming. Deedy also tries to incorporate puns into the text that appear one after another and often seem forced and out of context. Seeley's illustrations are the book's only redeeming quality. Drawn realistically in colored pencil using a variety of soft dark colors, each one is surrounded by a simple colorful border. However, the pictures in those borders often contain elements that are irrelevant to the the plot. All in all, this is unsuccessful as fiction and as nonfiction. --Rachel Fox, Port Washington Public Library, NY

School Library Journal