The Goat in the Rug

Though Charlie's sheep came near to stealing the show in de Paola's Charlie Needs a Cloak (1974), his diverting antics weren't acknowledged in the text; here Navajo weaver Glenmae's goat Geraldine tells the whole story of how her wool (""It's called mohair, really"") is sheared, washed and dried, combed, spun, dyed, and woven into the rug that now hangs in an Arizona museum. Your reaction to Geraldine's naive narration will hinge on whether you consider cuteness a plus or a minus; we prefer de Paola's throwaway charm, but a Navajo rug has a lot more interest, visually and otherwise, than an ethnically anonymous shepherd's cloak. And Parker's page designs, with geometric border motifs separating the pictures from the print, give the show more proceedings a clean, crisp look that suits the cultural context without aping the Navajo style.
(Kirkus Review) show less

One of the best children's books of all time is The Goat in the Rug by Geraldine. Geraldine, the goat, tells of his favorite Navajo weaver Glenmae. The story told from the point of view of the Goat, gives the reader a unique perspective. At times the story is funny, and other times seriously woven.

One of the best children's books of all time is The Goat in the Rug by Geraldine. Geraldine, the goat, tells of his favorite Navajo weaver Glenmae. The story told from the point of view of the Goat, gives the reader a unique perspective. At times the story is funny, and other times seriously woven.

This is a children's book, and it's delightful. Geraldine, an angora goat (from which comes mohair, by the way) living on the Navajo Nation, explains the process by which her Navajo owner produces a rug from beginning to end - gathering dye plants for the colors, shearing the goat, preparing the fiber and spinning the yarn, and, finally, weaving the rug. There's a great mix of storytelling, natural history, Navajo culture, and the lore of handspinning and handweaving.

This story is told by the goat, Geraldine, whose wool is shorn and use by Glenmae, her owner, to be weaved into a rug. The book is charming with illustrations that will delight children with their humor. The palette is limited. The illustrator repeats the same tone and color throughout the story. In fact they are the colors that Glenmae used to create the rug. Children enjoy the humor of the story. The illustrations are funny and the book is not too wordy for kids. Teaching ideas include: economics. natural, capital, and human resources.

Geraldine is a goat who lives on the Navajo reservation. She gets her hair cut, but where does it go? Geraldine gets to watch the transformation of her hair through the process of dying and weaving. This is an accurate representation of part of the Navajo's relationship with goats. I would recommend this book for any age range.

Geraldine is a goat, and Glenmae, a Navajo weaver. One day, Glenmae decides to weave Geraldine into a rug. First Geraldine is clipped. Then her wool is spun into fine, strong yarn. Finally, Glenmae weaves the wool on her loom. They reader learns, along with Geraldine, about the care and pride involved in the weaving of a Navajo rug -- and about cooperation between friends.