Petunia

by Roger Duvoisin

Book Overview

When Roger Duvoisin first introduced children to his proud and silly goose, Petunia, in 1950, it was love at first sight. Those children have grown up, but Petunia is every bit as fresh and funny and muddled as the day she was born. In this, the first of the series of classic books featuring the silly goose, Petunia finds a book--and, deciding that if she owns a book she must be wise, dispenses hilariously mistaken advice to the other animals in the...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394808657
• ISBN13: 9780394808659
• Release Date: May 1962
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 9.3" x 11.1"
• Age Range: 3 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2

Customer Reviews

Oh Proud, Proud, Proud Petunia!

Ohhhh Petunia!!! Believe it or not I found this book for 50 cents at a thrift store in mint condition having never read it before, by far the best deal I ever got with money from the bottom of my purse! Petunia is a silly goose for sure thinking just cause she "finds" a book one day that carrying it under her wing is enough to make her wise, but of course its not and proud, proud Petunia keeps stretching her neck out and butting her big neck into everyones troubles and only making them worse till one day it finally blows up in her face (literally)! But that was the best thing that could have happened to the silly goose cause it humbled her back to where her little neck belonged and teaches her its not enough to just carry a book but to learn to read it and thats the way to be wise in your mind and your heart, and maybe then she can truly help her friends! Absolute Classic!!! A good spoonful of humble pie right at bedtime.

Classic Kids' Books

This is a book I remembered vaguely from my own childhood and bought for my son on a whim. He loves it. In fact, he received it on Christmas day and has insisted that it be read at bedtime every night since then. Literally. So, will your child love it? Probably so. Will you? Probably so, at first. For our part, my husband and I are growing a little weary of it. But in the land of childrens books, that's probably the best you can hope for, right? The illustrations are fun and entertaining and the language is clear and fun. I'd give this as a gift again, or would certainly recommend it to others.

Appealing and quirky goose

Petunia is a goose, she finds a book and suddenly realises that she must be very intelligent. So she carries the book around under her arm. Other animals in the farm come to her for advice which she dispenses, but usually without good results. Then she comes across a box, she thinks she knows what to do - unfotunately her advice is not good for dealing with a box of fireworks. There is disaster and Petunia has enough sense to realise that she has not gained any knowledge from simply carrying a book around but must read what is within the pages. An appealing and quirky book. Also try out Petunia's Christmas. Very good child appealing parables.

Childhood favorite

Petunia was a fourth grade favorite of mine many years ago. Her "wisdom" was so cleverly revealed in the end that I kept the book checked out of the school library all year long.

Petunia is perfect!

Petunia finds a book, and because she carries the book around, she thinks she's smart. However, when Petunia starts passing out advice based on her "knowledge", the barnyard is ripe for one calamity after another. Petunia and her friends are colorful and comical in the illustrations, and the problems her newfound intellect creates are clever and funny. And, it couldn't be a truly good children's book without a truly good lesson at the end - a little moral about books and their value. Perfection.