Ada and the Goat

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Author(s)
Age Range
4+
Release Date
August 05, 2025
ISBN
978-0823450800
Buy This Book
     
Ada doesn’t need the goat. She doesn’t want the goat. So why isn’t she happy when it leaves?

When Ada leaves town and moves into a fixer-upper cottage on a hill, she can’t wait to settle into a life of peace and quiet. She’ll wear a soft gray coat and grow perfect red apples, and everything will be just so.

Yet Ada’s lovely plans are soon dashed by a troublesome goat that hangs around long after she frees it from a tangle with a fence. Its antics undo her perfect new life piece by piece, until Ada snaps and sends the goat firmly on its way. Never again will it chase after her apples… or sleep on her porch… or nibble on her soft, gray coat. And suddenly, Ada isn’t so glad. What if it’s stuck in a fence again?

A triumphant reunion, complete with baby goats, perfectly concludes this adorable and timeless tale of reluctant animal love. Heidi Aubrey’s prancing, clattering goat illustrations crackle with the spark that goat lovers know no other creature quite shares. As for Ada and her cottage, parents reading aloud may well see something familiar in having a tidy, calm home upturned by a mischievous small creature—and not wanting to have it any other way.

Editor review

1 review
Pastoral tale that teaches happiness is found by open hearts
(Updated: June 25, 2026)
Overall rating
 
4.3
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
5.0
A little silly, very sweet. There's nothing like a surprise goat to teach the values of friendship...and patience. Ada's plan to enjoy a simple life is interrupted by an unexpected neighbor - a goat with a cute face and no respect for Ada's purple coat, or her crisp apples, or anything else in her cozy cottage. But it's just when Ada's had enough of this interloper that she starts to see how this uncontrollable little friend that's messing up her "perfect" life might bring something even more valuable.

It's a charming tale, full of details to love. Gentle colors capture the quiet beauty of the seasons, from autumn harvest to quiet winter to lively spring, with riots of flowers. Ada's emotions jump from the page, whether it's her initial contentment with her new home or the increasing dismay as the unexpected goat makes a mess of her plans, and all throughout is an understated humor that's entirely relatable.

Life is full of plans gone awry, and this story reminds us to take a step back from surprises or disappointments, find the silver lining, and embrace the new joys that come from change.
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