A thoughtless act of mischief—stealing goose eggs, which are broken in the process—lands Howard in the bad graces of a local witch. Deciding to teach him a much-needed lesson, the witch turns Howard into a goose, a spell that will only be reversed when he has performed three good deeds. Howard soon discovers that his new life in the goose community is not easy, especially for one inexperienced in the ways of waterfowl. While learning how to survive as a goose, Howard learns about kindness, too, and, almost despite himself, starts to check off his required good deeds. Howard’s plight is cleverly resolved, and the chronicle of his stint in goose-dom makes this humorous novel an ideal classroom read-aloud. (Ages 8–12)