I’m a fan of tall tales and stories with magic in them. The Girl Who Dreamed Only Geese features fabulous paintings and B&W illustrations by Leo and Diane Dillon. The stories blend life in the far North with intelligent animals and sometimes desperate people.
My favorite story in The Girl Who Dreamed Only Geese is “The Man Who Married a Seagull.” As you might suspect, a female seagull turns into a human woman. But magical events threaten to turn her in back into a seagull. Her husband has to find a way to avoid that to save his wife.
I’m also fond of “The Wolverine’s Secret.” No, this is not the Hugh Jackman superhero, but an actual tricky wolverine with magical powers. The wolverine manages to steal the Sun and the Moon.
If you’re in the mood for stories that will take you far, far from your comfort zone, give The Girl Who Dreamed Only Geese a try. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION: Laughter in the Kitchen — xi
The day puffins netted Hid-Well — 1
Noah hunts a wooly mammoth — 17
Why the rude visitor was flung by walrus –31
Uteritsoq and the duckbill dolls — 45
The wolverine’s secret — 59
The girl who watched in the nighttime — 71
The man who married a seagull — 87
Home among the giants — 101
How the narwhal got its tusk — 113
The girl who dreamed only geese — 129
STORY NOTES: 143
Interesting. Never heard of him or the book. Like the picture. Jackie reads a lot of shifter romances. I wonder if she’d like this one.
Jeff, the artwork is eye-popping. The Dillons did dozens of SF covers that are highly prized now. They branched out and the Dillons won the Caldecott Medal in 1976 and 1977, the only consecutive awards of the honor.
George, I haven’t heard of the book or the author either, although I enjoy reading books with paintings and illustrations, especially the magical, sf and fantasy kind.
Prashant, you would love THE GIRL WHO DRAMED ONLY GEESE! The paintings and illustrations would delight you! And the stories send you into another world.
This looks like it’s right up my alley.
The cover art definitely gets your attention.
Thanks for another great recommendation, George.
Beth, THE GIRL WHO DREAMED ONLY GEESE, with artwork by the Dillons and clever stories, delivers a wonderful reading experience!
Just So stories with probably some pre-existing creation-myth elements? Certainly sounds like some of the folktales from other traditions I used to read. The story notes give much sense of that?
Todd, the stories in THE GIRL WHO DREAMED ONLY GEESE go a little further into magic and menace than JUST SO STORIES. The story notes provide context to each story.
Good…though Kipling’s had no little magic and menace to them! I’ve read a fair amount of arctic people’s mythos as recorded, as well. Even wrote a bad sonnet about Raven, the Creator once…
Todd, I’m sure you would enjoy THE GIRL WHO DREAMED ONLY GEESE.
I am a sucker for folk tales of all sorts, both new and old. This book sounds right up my alley, George. And, has anybody ever been able to resist a book with artwork by the Dillons?
Jerry, it will not surprise you to learn I’ve bought many books…simply because the Dillons did the cover!
I’m not familiar with the book or author but I read enough science fiction in the seventies to be familiar with the Dillons, especially their Harlan Ellison covers as well as their own “The People Could Fly.” They were huge in their day. The seventies get a bad rap but there was a lot of great stuff in that decade. Thanks for the tip.
Byron, I agree: the Seventies get a bad rap as a vacuous decade. But, I had a lot a fun and plenty of great books showed up during those years!
The Dillons’ day goes back considerably further than the ’70s and continued till his death…I believe she largely retired afterward.
Todd, I remember Harlan Ellison lobbying to have Leo and Diane Dillon’s artwork on his books.
I read a very good novel by him some years ago called The Bird Artist.
Steve, I requested THE BIRD ARTIST after reading THE GIRL WHO DREAMED ONLY GEESE. Glad to see you enjoyed it!
That looks like a gorgeous book. We still have a small collection of illustrated books that we started buying when my son was a child. I will have to see if I can find a copy of this one in nice condition and affordable. I don’t know if we have any books illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, but I love their work. I have one book by Ray Bradbury, The Halloween Tree, with a cover illustrated by them.
Have you read anything else by Howard Norman? Some of his novels look interesting.
Tracy, AMAZON has used hardcover copies of THE GIRL WHO DREAMED ONLY GEESE starting at $1.86. I own a couple dozen books with Leo and Diane Dillon cover artwork. After reading THE GIRL WHO DREAMED ONLY GEESE, I ordered more of Howard Norman’s books. You’ll be seeing those reviews on this blog in the months ahead.
Earlier this afternoon I found a copy at ABEBOOKS for $10 and I am sure I will be happy with it. I was surprised.
Tracy, sometimes I’m surprised like you at the prices of certain books–both high and low.
Just wanted to let you know that I ordered this book right after I posted.
You are an enabler, George.
Beth, that’s why Patti Abbott dubbed me “George the Tempter.”