Truly heartwarming story about goose named Gilbert, who learned to live with a terrible injury, even though it made him different. With the help of his friend Charlie, a little boy that is also physically impaired, he becomes the biggest hero of all. I think this uplifting story has all a children's book needs. The copy I have came with a CD, where the story really comes to life, with the perfect readers and vivid sound effects. My younger cousins kept begging me to play it again so they could here the "creepy" part with the bad guys. But not only were they entertained by it, but I could really tell that they understood the valuable message being told. So really, the way the theme is presented is wonderful to help young children grasp the lesson. In this way, I feel like it would be a great resource for a guidance counselor to use when teaching a lesson about bullying or diversity, without the ideas feeling forced. It would also simply be a good babysitter's companion, to keep the kids busy. So I give this a 5, for the illustrations, CD, and most importantly, the essential message of the story, that you can thrive even with your differences, and overcome whatever is holding you back, because that can make you stronger!
