Petunia

First sentence" In the meadow, early one morning, Petunia, the silly goose, went strolling. She ate a bug here, clipped off a clover leaf there, and she picked at the dewdrops on the goldenrod leaves.

Premise/plot: Petunia stars in this classic picture book from 1950. Petunia doesn't like being thought of as a "silly goose." So when Petunia literally stumbles across a book--though she doesn't really know what books are really for--she becomes a proud goose, a very proud goose. Carrying this newfound "wise book" everywhere she goes, Petunia is convinced that she is the wisest and best. Everyone starts coming to her for advice, but, her advice tends to do more harm than good. Petunia--book or not--is a silly goose. After a show more near-disaster--pride goeth before a fall--Petunia realizes something--the book is for reading. Possessing a book without having read it, without really knowing it, without really experiencing all it has to offer is shortsighted at best, foolish at worst. So Petunia decides...perhaps just perhaps...it's time she learns how to read.

My thoughts: I read this one and instantly saw some spiritual insights or lessons to be learned. Were these insights intentional by the author--maybe, maybe not. But even if they weren't, I think there's much food for thought to be gleaned.

Quotes:

So Petunia picked up the Book, and off she went with it. She slept with it....she swam with it...and, knowing that she was so wise, Petunia also became proud, and prouder, and prouder...so proud that her neck stretched out several notches.

and

Now she saw that there was something written inside the Book which she could not read. So she sat down and thought and thought and thought, until at least she sighed, "Now I understand. It was not enough to carry wisdom under my wing. I must put it into my mind and in my heart. And to do that I must learn to read." show less

**Found in the 20th Century Children's Book Treasury**

Petunia really is a silly goose - and I think it's so hilarious that the animals ate the firecrackers because she said they were candies. I know this book focuses more on Petunia realizing that "it was not enough to carry wisdom under my wing. I must put it in my mind and in my heart." Plus, the ode to how reading truly does better our loves. But I also think that this book teaches us an important lesson to be wary of those who think too highly of themselves. They're overconfident and know-it-all attitudes are usually overcompensating for something they lack...

I think that I've read this before, but for some reason it didn't stick. Which isn't a good sign. But jeepers I sure did enjoy it this time. I laughed at the silly advice Petunia gave all the animals, especially the rooster who knew all along why his comb is red. And I appreciated that she figured out the lesson to be learned all by herself... inspirational, that way. I will check out the sequels that I saw on the library shelf.

Petunia is a picture book with a plot that revolves around a warning against becoming too prideful. Tired of being called a silly goose, Petunia finds a book in a meadow and without even reading it deems herself the authority on all subjects far and wide. After giving out misleading and even harmful knowledge to her fellow animals, she sees the error of her ways and understands that she must first gain knowledge before having wisdom.

I enjoy this book because of the illustrations, which are colorful, humorous and have a sketchy quality that I love. I think children would find the plot at once poignant and funny, as Petunia’s neck stretches taller with each piece of wrong advice she gives out so matter of factly.

My only wish is for show more the ending to be a little more resolved. Perhaps Petunia should have more than one page devoted to her realization and even apologize to her friends rather than simply comprehending it’s not enough to carry wisdom under her wing to be deemed wise. The illustrations, however, more that make up for this quick resolution because the expressions on each characters face throughout adds nuances to the dialogue. show less

For forty years I've believed my favorite childhood book was Henny Penny, although all I remembered about it was the color orange and that I loved the duck in it. But I was misremembering which book it was! Today at the bookstore my attention was drawn to my REAL TRUE LOVE favorite book. It was not a duck, it was Petunia, the silly goose! I am so excited to be reunited with my old friend!

Petunia is a great book to get children informed on reading. It shows that just because you have a book you cannot be intelligent unless you take the time to really learn and read it. This informs children that they should work hard to succeed while also bringing humor into the mix.

Month of January 2022: Young Reader’s Classics

READING LEVEL: 3.1 AR POINTS: 0.5

A super cute children’s book written and published in 1950. This is 1 of 4 books in with my cousin’s (Lancer Woolwine) family photos, which I am currently organizing for their family. So, needless to say, this book stays with the family.

It’s about a goose, Petunia, who finds a book and believes that by simply carrying it around will make her appear to be the smartest animal on the farm. Her neck gets longer and higher as the other animals begin to believe it as well. They ask Petunia's help for various problems that don’t end well. The worst disaster was when Petunia misread a box labeled dynamite, and because she really didn’t know how to read, show more she told them it was CANDY.

Cute! Teaches the importance of learning to read. show less