Penny, The Review Group's reviewer Penny for Your ThoughtsThe Review Group
Children's ✦ Penny’s Take

Duck & Goose, How Are You Feeling?

Tad Hills · 2011
68/100
👍 Worth It

Tad Hills's board book uses his beloved Duck and Goose characters to walk toddlers through a wide range of feelings — happy, sad, scared, proud, frustrated, hopeful — almost entirely through expressive illustration. Gray skies signal sadness; drooping flowers signal disappointment. It's a social-emotional learning tool designed to spark caregiver-child conversation rather than simply name feelings and move on. Duck and Goose are charming enough to hold a toddler's attention, and the visual approach keeps it accessible for pre-readers. The honest caveat: feelings like 'selfish' or 'hopeful' run ahead of what most toddlers can grasp, so the youngest end of the age range will engage best with the simpler emotions. For parents who want a natural, low-pressure feelings conversation starter, it reliably delivers.

✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Expert / editorial (commonsensemedia.org)80
Sanctioned API (itunes)70
Penny’s verdict68
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